Coronavirus live updates: Covid-19 vaccination phase 2 to cover 60% of people

Total cases 5,93,924; Total recoveries 5,61,732; Death toll 9,706; Active cases 22,486

"One thing, which I will definitely remind you is that the wait for a vaccine is on but in the past few days, I have met scientists, and feel that the country will not have to wait too long for it. However, there should be no laxity from our side as far as prevention of the infection is concerned. Masks and a distance of two yards is very necessary," he said.

India is considering reviewing Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca's vaccines for emergency use on an accelerated basis, a senior government official said on Monday. Serum Institute is making AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine in India and has applied for emergency use authorization. "We are in the process of reviewing. It is an accelerated reviewing process, which is there for Serum too," a government official said. "All applications are accelerated. It is the need of the hour."

Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech has secured half a billion dollars in extra funding to produce its Covid-19 vaccine, it said Monday, as the country races to roll out a jab for general use. Beijing has largely brought the virus under control, with only 281 active cases still receiving treatment, according to official figures.But it has promised to make its vaccines available as a "global public good" as it seeks to counter global criticism for its early handling of the pandemic.

Indonesia has received 1.2 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine made by China's Sinovac, officials said, as the world's fourth most populous nation struggles to get soaring case rates under control. The doses arrived in Jakarta late Sunday on a flight from Beijing, with another 1.8 million expected to be sent again next month.Although Chinese regulators have yet to clear any of country's vaccines for mass distribution, they have approved some advanced candidates for emergency use.