The Union health ministry on Tuesday said that as many as 20,23,809 health workers had been vaccinated against the coronavirus so far.

Earlier in the day, India reported 9,102 new coronavirus cases, taking the overall count to 1,06,76,838. The country’s toll rose by 117 to 1,53,587. The number of active cases stood at 1,77,266, while the recoveries reached 1,03,45,985.

Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 9.97 crore people and killed over 21.39 lakh, according to John Hopkins University. Over 5.49 crore people have recovered from the infection in the world.

Click here for information on India’s vaccination drive.

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

These are the helpline numbers for states and the Union Territories

Here are the top updates of the day:

9.49 pm: World Health Organisation advises use of low-dose anti-coagulants to prevent blood clots to those who are suffering from symptoms after recovery in fresh clinical advice, reports Reuters.

6.53 pm: Delhi reports 157 new cases in last 24 hours, reports ANI. Number of active cases stand at 1,626.

6.50 pm: Kerala reports 6,293 new cases, reports ANI. Total active cases in the state stand at 71,607.

6.47 pm: Tamil Nadu reports 523 new cases and five new deaths in the last 24 hours, according to ANI.

3.54 pm: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa urges rich countries to stop hoarding excess vaccines, Reuters reports. “We need those who have hoarded the vaccines to release the vaccines so that other countries can have them,” he during a World Economic Forum meeting.

3.42 pm: The health ministry says more than 20 lakh health workers have been vaccinated so far.

1.27 pm: The Indian Council of Medical Research says 19,30,62,694 samples were tested for Covid-19 till Monday. Of these, 7,25,577 samples were tested on January 25.

1.21 pm: In its tableaux on the Republic Day parade, the Department of Biotechnology depicts the development of coronavirus vaccine, reports ANI.

1.17 pm: United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson India and Britain are working side by side to develop, produce and distribute coronavirus vaccines that will help to free humanity from the pandemic, reports ANI. “Thanks to the combined efforts of Britain, India and many other nations, we are on the road to success against Covid-19,” says Johnson.

1.15 pm: Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that Prime Minister KP Oli has expressed his gratitude to India for providing 10 lakh Covishield vaccines to the Himalayan country as grant as a gesture of good neighborly relations, reports ANI.

11.25 am: A fifth round of serological surveillance conducted in Delhi has suggested that over 50 of those surveyed have developed antibodies against the coronavirus, The Indian Express reports, citing officials. Experts say that the city is inching closer to achieving herd immunity – when the majority of a population becomes immune to a disease through vaccinations or through the mass spread of a disease.

11.22 am: Odisha has achieved over 92% of its vaccination target, reports the Hindustan Times.

“We managed to cover 92% of the targetted beneficiaries through a smart strategy of targetting more health workers as we realised on January 16 that not all who are being targetted every day would report to the vaccination centre,” says Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, additional chief secretary, health department. “While we expected some districts to underperform, we made up the deficit by pushing up the target in other districts like Nabrangpur, Mayurbhanj and Puri.”

9.30 am: Pfizer wants India to order its Covid vaccine before it pursues approval for the same, reports Reuters.

9.44 am: India registers 9,102 new coronavirus cases, pushing the country’s tally to 1,06,76, 838, according to Union Health Ministry data. The toll rises by 117 to 1,53, 587. There are 1,77,266 actives cases in the country.

9.35 am: Spectators at the Republic Day parade adhere to physical distancing norms.

9.32 am: In a veiled reference to Pakistan, India on Monday said that globally recognised state sponsors of terrorism used the Covid-19 pandemic to increase recruitment and infiltration activities to spread terror, reports PTI.

Here are the top updates from Monday

  • President Ram Nath Kovind, in his address to the country on the eve of Republic Day, urged people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as per guidelines. He said that the government was working with complete dedication to make the massive inoculation programme a success.
  • A report by non-profit group Oxfam on Monday revealed that the wealth of India’s 100 billionaires including Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, soared during the coronavirus pandemic, while millions of others in the country lost their livelihoods. 
  • The Centre directed the states and Union Territories to take action against those spreading rumours about the safety of coronavirus vaccines.
  • India reported 13,203 new coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the overall count to 1,06,67,736. The country’s toll rose by 131 – the lowest in eight months – to 1,53,470. The number of active cases stood at 1,84,182, while the recoveries reached 1,03,30,084.