In a fresh set of guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday asked states to consult before imposing lockdowns at state, district, sub-division or city levels. The states are however allowed to impose local restrictions like night curfews. The new guidelines will stay in effect from December 1 to December 31.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday imposed a 15-day night curfew in all cities and towns from December 1. He also doubled the fine for not wearing masks and flouting guidelines.

Meanwhile, India’s coronavirus count rose to 92,22,216 on Wednesday as it reported 44,376 new cases in 24 hours. The country’s toll rose by 481 to 1,34,699. India’s active cases stood at 4,44,746, while the recoveries reached 86,42,771.

Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 5.99 crore people and killed, 14,13,325, according to the Johns Hopkins University. More than 3.84 crore people have recovered from the infection.

The national helpline number for the coronavirus is 011-23978046, and a toll-free number is 1075.

These are the helpline numbers for states and the Union Territories.

Here are the top updates of the day

10.27 pm: Below is Haryana’s tally for the day.

10.25 pm: West Bengal’s tally rises to 4,66,991 with 3,528 new cases. The state’s toll is now 8.172 after 51 additional deaths.

10.20 pm: Jharkhand reports 237 new cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours.

9.20 pm: Tamil Nadu logs 1,534 new cases, taking the overall count to 7,74,710. Sixteen more deaths push the state’s toll to 11,655.

9.01 pm: Delhi registers 5,246 new cases and 99 deaths in the last 24 hours.

8.59 pm: Punjab’s tally rises to 1,48,435 with 785 fresh infections and 31 deaths.

8.56 pm: Gujarat registers record 1,540 daily new cases, according to PTI. The state’s toll climbs to 3,906 with 14 fatalities.

8.55 pm: Mumbai reports 1,144 new cases, tally goes up to 2,78,590. The city’s toll rises to 10,723 with 17 additional deaths.

8.25 pm: Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar reports 223 more coronavirus cases, taking the district’s infection tally to 22,022, according to PTI. The number of active cases in the district rises to 1,357 from 1,276 on the previous day.

8.22 pm: Chandigarh reports 87 new coronavirus cases, taking the total positive cases to 16,925. Meanwhile, as many as 15,532 patients have recovered from the infection.

8.20 pm: The Kullu district administration in Himachal Pradesh says that wearing of face masks is compulsory in public places, adding that those defying the order shall be liable for fine of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000, reports ANI.

8.08 pm: The United States has reported more than 2,000 deaths from Covid-19 for the first time since May, reports Reuters. The toll reached 2,157 on Tuesday along with another 1,70,000 people contracting the infection.

8 pm: Rajasthan reports 3,285 new coronavirus cases and 18 deaths today. The state now has total 2,53,767 cases and the toll jumps to 2,218.

7.30 pm: Maharashtra reports 6,159 new coronavirus cases and 65 deaths today, according to ANI. The state now has 17,95,959 total cases and the toll rises to 46,748. As many as 16,63,723 people have recovered.

7.15 pm: Mumbai’s Dharavi reports seven new coronavirus cases, taking total to 3,663, reports PTI. Of the total recorded cases in the slum, 3,333 patients have already recovered from the infection.

6.55 pm: The Maharashtra government exempts on-duty cockpit and cabin crew members of all airlines from the mandatory RT-PCR test across airports in the state, reports PTI.

The exemption, however, will be subjected to following all necessary coronavirus protocols by the respective airlines, Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar says in an order.

6.46 pm: More new cases and deaths in states/Union Territories, according to ANI.

  • Karnataka: 1,630 new cases, total rises to 8,78,055. With 19 deaths, the toll is at 11,714.   
  • Andhra Pradesh: 831 new cases, total positive infections rises to 8,64,674. With 6 deaths, the toll is at 6,962.
  • Tamil Nadu: 1,534 new cases, total rises to 7,74,710. With 16 deaths, the toll is at 11,655. 
  • Jammu and Kashmir: 489 new cases, total rises to 1,07,819. With 12 deaths, the toll is at 1,663.   

6.40 pm: West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan has tested positive for the coronavirus, reports PTI. He has been admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata.

6.14 pm: Jammu and Kashmir reports 489 new Covid-19 cases and 12 deaths in the last 24 hours, reports ANI. The total cases in the state stands at 1,07,819, while toll reaches 1,663.

6.10 pm: China’s leading vaccine producer China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) says it has applied with the country’s regulators to market its Covid-19 vaccine, reports the Hindustan Times.

6.09 pm: Union Health Ministry asks state governments to initiate steps for reopening of medical colleges from December 1 or before, following Covid-19 guidelines, reports PTI.

6.05 pm: Centre allows states to restrict the number of people allowed in gatherings in close spaces to 100 persons, or below.

6.05 pm: Centre asks states to consult before imposing lockdowns at state, district, sub-division or city levels, according to new guidelines issued by the home ministry. The states are however allowed to impose local restrictions like night curfews.

4.29 pm: The Ministry of Home Affairs issues guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution guidelines in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The order will come into effect from December 1.

4.16 pm: Some district authorities in Delhi are setting up micro-containment zones in areas where two or more coronavirus infections have been reported, reports PTI, citing officials. “Normally, an area is marked containment zone where three or more Covid-19 cases are detected,” officials say. “But it is a dynamic exercise, conducted by district authorities on a need-based manner.”

2.40 pm: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh imposes night curfew in all towns and cities of the state from 10 pm to 5 am amid the coronavirus crisis, reports ANI. All hotels, restaurants and wedding venues will have to be closed at 9.30 pm now.

The chief minister also doubles fine for not following coronavirus guidelines and other appropriate behaviour to Rs 1,000. The new orders will come into effect from December 1 and will be reviewed on December 15.

1.42 pm: The United States plans to distribute 6.4 million (64 lakh) doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the first week after it is cleared for emergency use, which is likely next month, reports AFP.

1.40 pm: Amid a surge in cases, 2,000 normal and 1,300 intensive care unit beds have been added in Covid-19 hospitals of Delhi in the past two weeks, PTI reports, quoting officials.

11.17 am: Health officials screen passengers arriving to Mumbai by train from Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa, reports Prasar Bharati News Services.

9.50 am: India’s coronavirus count rises to 92,22,216 on Wednesday morning as it reports 44,376 new cases in 24 hours. The country’s toll rises by 481 to 1,34,699. India’s active cases stand at 4,44,746, while the recoveries have reached 86,42,771.

9.45 am: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday said that the citizens of his country will have to wait for the vaccine because the first inoculations to roll out are likely to be distributed in the country they are made in, according to AP.

He added that Canada did not have mass vaccine-production facilities like the US, UK and Germany.

9.40 am: The Maharashtra government has decided to provide financial aid and 5 kg of ration to 5,600 sex workers in Mumbai every month till the pandemic is over, The Indian Express reports.

9.35 am: Ambassadors and envoys from 100 countries will visit the Serum Institute of India and Gennova Biopharmaceuticals in Pune on December 4 to discuss vaccine development and distribution, PTI reports.

9.30 am: Here are the top updates from Tuesday:

  1. India’s coronavirus tally rose to 91,77,840 as it reported 37,975 new cases in 24 hours. The country’s toll rose by 480 to 1,34,218. India’s recovered cases stood at 86,04,955, while the number of active cases was 4,38,667.
  2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the states to begin working on cold storage facilities for coronavirus vaccines and try to keep the positivity rate below 5%.
  3. Gujarat’s tally of coronavirus cases on Tuesday crossed the two-lakh mark, after 1,510 new cases took the state’s total to 2,00,409. This is the second time in three days that the state has reported over 1,500 infections in a day. The toll climbed to 3,892 with 16 more deaths reported in 24 hours.
  4. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that there was no chance of opening schools any time soon in the national Capital due to the coronavirus pandemic. “No parent would want to send their children until they are assured that they will be safe,” Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said.
  5. Russian developers said that the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective. The second interim analysis of clinical trial data showed a 91.4% efficacy for the vaccine on day 28 after the first dose, with its efficacy being over 95%. The calculations are based on preliminary data obtained 42 days after the first dose. The cost of one dose of the vaccine will be less than $10 (approximately Rs 740) for international markets, according to CNBC.