You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
FDA authorises Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna COVID-19 boosters
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorised booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines for all adults who were vaccinated with the Pfizer and partner BioNTech shot and the Moderna shot.
The regulator's decision paves the way for millions of Americans to get additional protection and is aimed at addressing waning protection among fully vaccinated Americans in the face of Delta variant-driven breakthrough cases of the illness.
It authorised the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna booster for all adults who had their second dose of the vaccine six months prior.
"Streamlining the eligibility criteria and making booster doses available to all individuals 18 years of age and older will also help to eliminate confusion about who may receive a booster dose and ensure booster doses are available to all who may need one," Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement.
The final regulatory review moves to a meeting of an advisory committee to the Centers for U.S. Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on boosters scheduled for noon on November 19, and then a recommendation from the agency's director, who has publicly supported boosters for all.
U.S. authorises COVID-19 booster shots for all adults
Austria to enter lockdown, bring in mandatory vaccinations
Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said Friday that the country will go into a national lockdown to contain a fourth wave of coronavirus cases.
Mr Schallenberg said the lockdown will start Monday and initially last for 10 days. Most stores will close, and cultural events will be cancelled.
He initially said all students would have to go back into home schooling.
Austria to enter lockdown, bring in mandatory vaccinations
Maha: Gram panchayats that complete 100% COVID-19 vaccination by Dec 31 to get extra funds in Palghar
In a bid to achieve 10 per cent% vaccination against COVID-19, the administration in Maharashtra's Palghar district has decided to give extra funds to gram panchayats that finish vaccinating their entire population by December 31, a senior official said on Friday.
District collector Dr Manik Gursal said the decision was taken at the district planning committee (DPC) meeting presided over by Guardian Minister Dada Bhuse at the Palghar district headquarters on Thursday.- PTI
Active cases in the country decline to 1,26,620
India saw a single-day rise of 11,106 new COVID-19 cases, taking the country's tally to 3,44,89,623, while the active cases have declined to 1,26,620, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll has climbed to 4,65,082 with 459 daily fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been below 20,000 for 42 straight days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 145 consecutive days now.- PTI
Pfizer signs $5.3 billion U.S. deal to supply COVID-19 antiviral pills
Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it had signed a $5.29 billion deal with the U.S. government to deliver 10 million courses of its experimental COVID-19 antiviral drug, as the country rushes to secure promising oral treatments for the disease.
The deal is roughly twice the size of the contract the U.S. government has with Merck & Co Inc, although the price for the Pfizer pill is lower at roughly $530 per course compared with about $700 for Merck's.
Pfizer applied for emergency authorization of the drug, branded as Paxlovid, this week after reporting data showing that it was 89% effective at preventing hospitalization or death in at-risk people.
The drugmaker said it would begin deliveries of the treatment as soon as this year if it is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.- Reuters
German lawmakers shift in COVID rules after dire warnings
German lawmakers approved new measures Thursday to rein in record coronavirus infections after the head of the country's disease control agency warned Germany could face a “really terrible Christmas.”
The legislation includes requirements for employees to prove they are vaccinated, recently recovered from COVID-19 or have tested negative for the virus in order to access communal workplaces; a similar rule will apply to public transport. The measures need to be approved by Germany's upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, which could happen Friday.-AP
India must ramp up manufacturing of key ingredients for vaccines: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurating the first Global Innovation Summit of the pharmaceuticals sector on Thursday, said that India must think about ramping up domestic manufacturing of key ingredients for vaccines and medicines.
“This is one frontier that India has to conquer,” he said, adding that the country had a large pool of scientists with the potential to take the pharmaceutical industry to greater heights.
India must ramp up manufacturing of key ingredients for vaccines: PM Modi
