Coronavirus live updates: Canada health regulator approves Pfizer vaccine

A total of 1,511 new Covid-19 cases and 17 fatalities were reported in Rajasthan on Wednesday, according to the State Health Department. Besides, 2,577 people also recovered from the deadly infection pushing the tally for recoveries here to 2,63,350.

Efficacy results may not be ready for months from a trial of AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s coronavirus vaccine in South Africa, the principal investigator of the South African study told Reuters.

An expert committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Wednesday sought additional safety and efficacy data for Covid-19 vaccine candidates of Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech, after deliberating upon their applications seeking emergency use authorisation for the shots, official sources said. The application by the Indian arm of US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer was not taken up for deliberation on Wednesday as the firm sought more time for making presentation before the committee, they said. The applications of both Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute of India are still under consideration, a source said.

The ministry said in a statement, "Cumulative national positivity rate stands at 6.50 pc today. Daily positivity rate is just 3.14 pc. Higher volumes of testing eventually lead to low positivity rate." With 32,080 new COVID-19 infections reported in the last 24 hours, India's total coronavirus cases have risen to 97,35,850, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday. 75.11% of the new cases are from 10 States and UTs, the ministry added.

Health Canada posted on it is website that the vaccine made by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech is authorized. Canada is set to receive up to 249,000 doses this month and 4 million doses of the vaccine by March. The Canadian government has purchased 20 million doses of that vaccine, which requires people to receive two doses each, and it has the option to buy 56 million more.

Delhi on Wednesday recorded 50 Covid-19 deaths, the lowest since November 1, health minister Satyendar Jain said and asserted that the national capital is emerging victorious in the battle against the coronavirus. Delhi has, for the first time, more than 13,000 vacant COVID-19 beds in hospitals. Now the effect of the pandemic is on the decline, he added.

"We are having a tier pricing. It is one price for the developed world based on their GDP, another price, lower for the middle-income countries and in the low-income countries, like countries in Africa etc we are giving it on a not-on-profit basis," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said. He also said the company is also working on a new formulation that can be stored in simple refrigeration.