Coronavirus live updates | We must stop “second peak” immediately: Modi

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled out any link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and reported blood clots.

“We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

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:

India

We must stop “second peak” immediately: Modi

“We must stop this emerging “second peak” of Corona immediately,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tells Chief Ministers.

India is seeing a robust recovery rate but we have to work together to stop emerging second wave of Corona and for this. “We have to take quick and decisive steps,” he adds.

Now, we should be not be careless and there is no need to create panic among the general public, he says.

States like Kerala, UP, Chhattisgarh overly dependent on antigen tests; RT PCR tests should make for over 70 percent of overall testing, he adds.

We have to increase testing in small cities. The pace of COVID vaccination in the country is continuously increasing. We are looking at ensuring curbing any waste of vaccine doses.

Villupuram

Government school in Villupuram closed after teacher tests COVID-19 positive

Authorities closed the Government Model Girls Higher Secondary School in Villupuram on Wednesday, after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19.

An official of the Education Department said that the teacher was deputed to handle students of two classes. On information, a Health Department team took samples from about 80 students of the two classes. The test results are awaited. The premises have been sanitised and the school will reopen on Monday.

 

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka to continue with Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine

Sri Lanka will continue to use the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines despite its suspension in some countries over reports that the doses were causing blood clot-related complications, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.

Some nations, mostly European, suspended the use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which also has a tie-up with the Serum Institute of India, after some reports of blood clotting.

Ramesh Pathirana, the Cabinet co-spokesman, said that the vaccine halted in certain European countries was limited to one batch of the vaccine and Sri Lanka had not received doses from the same batch.

“Those vaccines which are involved in that problem only belong to a certain batch in that vaccine are temporarily suspended in certain countries in Europe, that batch of vaccines was not given to Sri Lanka,” he said.

He said that the public should remain calm and not fear such reports.

His comments come in the wake of several European countries — ncluding Denmark, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway and Iceland -— pausing the administration of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab. Some Asian and African countries have expressed concern. Congo and Thailand have stopped the doses.

Telangana

Another COVID-19 cluster found in Nagole school

A day after a cluster of 14 COVID-19 cases were detected at the Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS) in Mancherial, another cluster of 34 cases were detected among students of Telangana Minority Residential School located in Bandlaguda, Nagole, on Tuesday.

Medchal-Malkajgiri Health officials said after receiving information that some students at the school had developed symptoms of COVID-19, they conducted tests and found the 34 students to be positive for coronavirus. While 10 teachers were tested, their tests turned up negative. Tests on 12 teachers who were not present on Tuesday will be conducted on Wednesday.

Karnataka

Health workers tasked to report Maharashtra returnees in Mandya

Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and anganwadi workers in K.R. Pet and Nagamangala taluks in Mandya district have been assigned a new task – to alert the health authorities on coming across new persons in the households – as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 since many from these two taluks work in Maharashtra, which has reported a spike in cases triggering the scare of a second wave of infection.

These two taluks had reported the highest number of cases last year as many locals returned to their respective villages from the neighbouring State following the lockdown and for other reasons.

National

India records highest daily spike this year

India recorded its highest daily tally of coronavirus cases this year with 28,903 new infections, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 1,14,38,734, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The death toll increased to 1,59,044 with 188 new fatalities, the highest in around two months, the data updated at 8 am showed.  Registering an increase for the seventh day in a row, the total active caseload has increased to 2,34,406 which now comprises 2.05 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate has further dropped to 96.56 per cent, the data stated.

As many as 30,254 new infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours on December 13.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 1,10,45,284, while the case fatality rate has  dropped to 1.39 per cent, the data stated.

 

Vietnam

Vietnam’s homegrown vaccine to be out by Q4

Vietnam’s domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, called nanocovax, is expected to be available by the fourth quarter of this year, the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Southeast Asian country has inoculated more than 16,000 people with AstraZeneca vaccines it received last month, the government said, adding that it was also in talks to buy vaccines from other producers, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson and the Sputnik V maker.

WHO

Post-vaccine blood clots a form of rare cerebral thrombosis: EMA

Scientists at the Germany-based Paul-Ehrlich-Institut report that the blood clots observed in some of those vaccinated are a “special form of very rare cerebral vein thrombosis”. This corresponds to a deficiency in platelets and bleeding following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The recommendations from the institute were the reason Germany put on hold ongoing vaccinations until a full review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The blood clots observed post vaccination, however, are less than the background number of such thrombosis events even without vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled out any link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and reported blood clots. “We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that countries continue vaccinating with AstraZeneca,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

 

Maharashtra

State active case tally rapidly climbs

Maharashtra posted yet another record single-day jump of 17,864 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as its active case tally rapidly climbed to 1,38,813. Just 9,510 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours with the State’s recovery rate dipping to 91.77%. As many as 87 deaths pushed the fatality toll to 52,996.

While the total case tally has reached 23,47,328, the cumulative recoveries stand at 21,54,253.

 

Tamil Nadu

Collectors told to impose fines on people not wearing masks in public

A senior citizen being administered the Covid-19 vaccine at a Public Health Centre in TVS colony, Chennai.

A senior citizen being administered the Covid-19 vaccine at a Public Health Centre in TVS colony, Chennai.  
| Photo Credit:
K. Pichumani

 

In the light of increasing numbers of fresh COVID-19 infections in Tamil Nadu, Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan on Tuesday instructed District Collectors to strictly enforce guidelines and impose a fine on those not wearing a facemask while in public places.

During a meeting to review the COVID-19 scenario across the State, Mr. Ranjan instructed Collectors to strictly enforce the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the government and to impose a fine on violators under the Public Health Act. Respective local bodies, health, police and revenue department officials are to ensure compliance.

 

Vaccine for children

Moderna says it has started vaccine trials on children

U.S. manufacturer Moderna on Tuesday said it has started COVID-19 vaccine trials for children aged from 6 months to under 12 years old, with plans to enroll about 6,750 participants.

“We are pleased to begin this Phase 2/3 study of mRNA-1273 in healthy children in the U.S. and Canada,” said CEO Stephane Bancel in a statement.

 

Karnataka

Average of 4.5 contacts per patient traced in the last week

With a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the State, the COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended that for every patient, 20 contacts need to be traced in districts where the positivity rate is above 1%.

However, according to data provided by the Karnataka State COVID-19 war room on an average, not a single contact has been identified in 45.3% of the cases reported in the last week.

 

Telangana

‘Unrestricted movement making it tough to find source’

As a second COVID-19 cluster was detected in Telangana, dreadful memories from last year started playing on the minds of State Health officials. Emerging clusters, rapid spread of coronavirus and its containment had given sleepless nights to the officials even as they clocked in extra hours to keep the situation under control.

 

(With inputs from our Correspondents and agencies)

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Golden Globes 2021 updates | ‘Nomadland’, ‘Borat 2’, ‘The Crown’ win top awards

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Drama “Nomadland” and satire “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” won movie honors at the Golden Globes on Sunday in a mostly virtual bicoastal ceremony that was marked by pandemic conditions and calls for more diversity.

Also read: Key winners at the 2021 Golden Globes

British royal drama “The Crown,” comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” and limited-series chess saga “The Queen’s Gambit” won the top awards in television.

Actors Emma Corrin, who played a young Princess Diana, Josh O’Connor, who played Prince Charles, and Gillian Anderson, who played Margaret Thatcher, in the Netflix royal series were also winners.

Here are more updates:

9.40 am

‘Nomadland’ wins best drama film

“Nomadland,” a moving drama about van dwellers in recession-hit America from Searchlight Pictures, also took the best director prize for Chinese-born Chloe Zhao. It made Zhao only the second woman to win at the Globes in that category, and the first woman director of Asian descent to win.

Fellow nominees included “The Father,” “Mank,” “Promising Young Woman” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

9.35 am

‘Mank’ missed the mark

Netflix period drama “Mank,” about the screenwriter of “Citizen Kane,” had gone into Sunday’s show with a leading six nods but ended the night empty-handed.

Our reviewer wrote of it: “David Fincher’s return to cinema six years after ‘Gone Girl’ is everything you wouldn’t expect in a David Fincher film and everything you would expect from David Fincher.”

9.30 am

Andra Day wins best drama actress Globe for ‘The US vs Billie Holiday’

Andra Day on Sunday took home the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama film for her portrayal of singing legend Billie Holiday in “The United States vs Billie Holiday.”

A shocked Day accepted her award and paid tribute to fellow nominees Viola Davis (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Vanessa Kirby (“Pieces of a Woman”), Frances McDormand (“Nomadland”) and Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman”).

9.15 am

Big win for ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm’

Mockumentary “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” starring Sacha Baron Cohen, won the award for best movie musical or comedy at Sunday’s Golden Globe awards.

The movie stars British comedian Cohen as a fictional journalist from Kazakhstan bearing a gift for U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

9.10 am

Historic win for ‘Nomandland’ director Chloe Zhao

Chloé Zhao has become the second woman to win the Best Director award at the Golden Globes in the past 78 years. She won for the critically-acclaimed feature ‘Nomadland’, touted as one of the major contenders for the upcoming award season.

Zhao, an Oscar frontrunner, is the first woman of Asian descent to win best director at the Globes and the first woman since Barbra Streisand won for “Yentl” in 1984. She bested fellow nominee Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”), David Fincher (“Mank”), Regina King (“One Night in Miami”) and Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”).

9.05 am

Chadwick Boseman wins posthumous award

Chadwick Boseman awarded the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an ‘Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama’ for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”.

Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman
 
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

 

The “Black Panther” star died last August from cancer at the age of 43.

Boseman was nominated for his kinetic performance as a tragic young trumpet player opposite Davis in “Ma Rainey.”

9 am

Jane Fonda honored for lifetime achievement

American actor and activist Jane Fonda received a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes ceremony, marking a career in film and television and at the forefront of social issues over some 60 years.

Fonda, 83, made an impassioned plea for diversity while accepting her award, saying storytelling was central to mutual human understanding.

“There is a story we have been afraid to see and hear about ourselves in our industry, a story about which voices we respect and elevate and which we tune out,” said Fonda, who accepted her award dressed in a white pantsuit and long sparkling earrings.

“After all, art has always been not just in step with history, but has led the way,” she said. “So let’s be leaders.” – Reuters

8.55 am

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ bags two key awards

Anya Taylor-Joy, the star of chess-drama ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, wins the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television.

Double joy for team of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ as the series wins the Globe for Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television.

8.50 am

Jodie Foster wins best supporting actress Globe for ‘The Mauritanian’

Jodie Foster has won the Golden Globe for best supporting actress in a film for her role in the real-life Guantanamo legal drama “The Mauritanian.”

She beat a crowded field that included Glenn Close (“Hillbilly Elegy”), Olivia Colman (“The Father”), Amanda Seyfried (“Mank”) and Helena Zengel (“News of the World”).

8.45 am

Gillian Anderson, who portrays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Crown’, wins the Globe for ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role’.

8.30 am

‘The Crown’ wins Best TV Series

Another crown for ‘The Crown’ (sorry, not sorry). The British historical drama has won the ‘Best Television Series – Drama’ at the 78th Golden Globes.

This image released by Netflix shows Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II in a scene from "The Crown."

This image released by Netflix shows Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II in a scene from “The Crown.”  
| Photo Credit: AP

8.25 am

‘Minari’ wins Golden Globe for best foreign language film

“Minari,” the critically acclaimed story of a Korean-American family that moves to a farm in rural Arkansas in the 1980s, has won the Golden Globe for best foreign language film.

 

It bested “Another Round” (Denmark), “La Llorona” (Guatemala, France), “The Life Ahead” (Italy) and “Two Of Us” (France, U.S.).

8.20 am

Josh O’Connor wins for ‘The Crown’

Josh O’Connor wins the ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama’ for his portrayal of Prince Charles.

“As Prince Charles, Josh O’Connor delivers the most eye-grabbing performance of the season, humanising the longest heir apparent in British history and the ex-husband of the enigmatic Princess Diana with such effortless ease, it sets up the character beautifully for when things get really murky in future editions,” wrote our reviewer on his performance in the third season of the historical drama.

8.05 am

Rosamund Pike wins best comedy film actress Globe for ‘I Care A Lot’

Rosamund Pike wins the Globe for her performance in “I Care a Lot”. She won the ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy’ for the dark comedy-thriller in which she plays a professional legal guardian of aging adults who discovers that her seemingly perfect client is not who they appear to be. Read review here.

Rosamund Pike accepts the Best Actress - Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy award for "I Care a Lot," via video, in this handout photo from the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. on February 28, 2021.

Rosamund Pike accepts the Best Actress – Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy award for “I Care a Lot,” via video, in this handout photo from the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S. on February 28, 2021.  
| Photo Credit: NBC Handout

 

Her fellow nominees included Maria Bakalova (“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm”), Kate Hudson (“Music”), Michelle Pfeiffer (“French Exit”) and Anya Taylor-Joy (“Emma”).

8 am

Schitt’s Creek’ continues stellar run, wins Best TV Comedy Series

“Schitt’s Creek,” the story of a once-wealthy family forced to relocate to a small town, was named best television comedy on Sunday at Hollywood’s Golden Globe awards.

The series starred Dan Levy and his father Eugene Levy, co-creators of the show.

 

Jason Sudeikis wins globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy.

This image shows Jason Sudeikis in "Ted Lasso." Sudeikis accepted the award for best actor in a television series, musical or comedy at the Golden Globe Awards on February 28, 2021.

This image shows Jason Sudeikis in “Ted Lasso.” Sudeikis accepted the award for best actor in a television series, musical or comedy at the Golden Globe Awards on February 28, 2021.  
| Photo Credit: AP

 

Emma Corrin wins globe for ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama’ for her performance in “The Crown”.

7.30 am

Guest appearances galore

Regina King’s dog snoozed in the background as she showed off her Louis Vuitton gown in silver and black.

Regina King

Regina King  

 

Amanda Seyfried, from somewhere in the American South, wore a sunny, springy coral Oscar de la Renta with floral adornment, echoing many stars who said they wanted to bring a little joy.

“I’ve got my son, who is 5 months old, laying against a pillow in a tux,” Seyfried said during a round of pre-show interviews.

7.20 am

TV legend Norman Lear honoured at Golden Globes

Television pioneer Norman Lear, creator of groundbreaking comedy shows such as “All in the Family” and “One Day at a Time,” accepted a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes ceremony on Sunday.

Lear, 98, was honored with the Carol Burnett Award, an accolade established in 2018 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group that hands out the Golden Globes. Speaking via video at this year’s virtual ceremony, Lear said he was thrilled to accept an award named for Burnett, who he said “has made me laugh harder” than anyone else.

“I’m convinced laughter adds time to one’s life,” Lear said.

“At close to 99, I’ve never lived alone,” he added. “I’ve never laughed alone. And that has as much to do with my being here today as anything else I know.”

7.10 am

Mark Ruffalo wins the Globe for ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television’ for his role in “I Know This Much Is True.”

Aaron Sorkin wins the ‘Best Screenplay – Motion Picture’ for “The Trial of the Chicago 7”. No suprises there.

7.05 am

‘Soul’ selected as the best animated movie

“Soul” wins the ‘Best Motion Picture – Animated’ award.

Pixar’s first feature to frontline black characters is a stunning work of animation, with an important message to kids and adults alike.

Soul may not quite have the emotional highs of Coco or the visionary genius that shaped Inside Out, but is still a remarkable addition to Pixar’s cannon of wins that don’t just comfort the soul, but outright embrace it,” writes our reviewer.

7 am

“Schitt’s Creek” continues its momentum from Emmys 2020, where it won seven Emmys, including best comedy series and acting awards for all four lead actors.

Catherine O’Hara, who places the quirky mother ‘Moira’ in the Netflix series, named the winner of ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy’.

6.50 am

John Boyega wins best supporting actor for ‘Small Axe’

Meanwhile, John Boyega wins the Globe for the ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role’ for his role in “Small Axe”.

The anthology series has been dedicated to George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. Boyega had actively participated in the BLM protests, famously saying “Look I don’t know if I’m going to have a career after this but, f**k that.

 

6.45 am

“This took it out of me”: Daniel Kaluuya on his win

… and the first award is out. Actor Daniel Kaluuya bags his maiden Golden Globe award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture.

Actor Laura Dern presents the Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture award for "Judas and the Black Messiah" to winner Daniel Kaluuya, in this handout photo from the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., February 28, 2021.

Actor Laura Dern presents the Best Supporting Actor Motion Picture award for “Judas and the Black Messiah” to winner Daniel Kaluuya, in this handout photo from the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., February 28, 2021.  
| Photo Credit: NBC Handout

 

He won for his role in the period drama “Judas and the Black Messiah”, for which he got rave reviews.

“This took it out of me. I gave everything,” said Kaluuya, accepting the award via a webcam.

Daniel Kaluuya’s acceptance speech was marred by technical glitch initially, when his audio feed didn’t connect, leaving viewers with only his muted video feed.

“You’re doing me dirty, you’re doing me dirty,” the 32-year-old actor quipped as his video feed went silent.

“Big Little Lies” star Laura Dern, who was presenting the award to Kaluuya, apologised for the “bad connection” on stage as the feed cut away.

“We apologise for that technical problem and send all of our congratulations to Daniel and his Golden Globe win,” she said.

As it has happened over many a Zoom calls this past year, it turns out Kaluuya’s feed was muted, but quickly rectified, a source told Variety.

When Kaluuya came back into view, he asked “Is this on? Can you hear me now?” Once the audio issue was resolved, the actor thanked his family and the Hollywood Foriegn Press Association (HFPA), the body that conducts the Golden Globes currently facing fire over its lack of Black representation among its ranks.

 

Full list of nominees

Hollywood’s award season kicks off Sunday at a very different Golden Globes, with a mainly virtual ceremony set to boost or dash the Oscars hopes of early frontrunners like “Nomadland” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”

Nomadland,” Chloe Zhao’s paean to a marginalized, older generation of Americans roaming the West in rundown vans, has long been viewed as a frontrunner for the Globes’ top prize.

But it will face stiff competition from Aaron Sorkin’s “Chicago 7,” a courtroom drama about the city’s anti-war riots in 1968 with a mouth-watering ensemble cast including Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne and Sacha Baron Cohen.

 

Globes org says it will recruit Black members after outcry

Pandemic improvising is only part of the damage control the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which puts on the Globes, finds itself dealing with this year. A pair of extensive reports by The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times in the week leading up to the awards renewed scrutiny on the press association and its 87 voting members.

While the HFPA has long been known as an organisation with members of questionable qualification — the majority of its members don’t write for well-known publications — and are known for being swayed by high-priced junkets, the reports again forced the HFPA to defend itself.

Among the most damning details was the revelation that there are no Black voting members in the group, something that only reinforced criticism that the press association — which host Ricky Gervais last year called “very, very racist” in his opening monologue — is in need of overhauling.

This year, none of the most acclaimed Black-led films — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “One Night in Miami,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Da 5 Bloods” — were nominated for the Globes’ best picture award.

In a statement, the HFPA said it would make “an action plan” to change. “We understand that we need to bring in Black members, as well as members from other underrepresented backgrounds,” the group said.

For some, none of the revelations were surprising. Ava DuVernay tweeted in response to the LA Times article: “Reveals? As in, people are acting like this isn’t already widely known? For YEARS?”

As showtime neared, the backlash threatened to overwhelm the Globes. The Screen Actors Guild on Sunday joined others in calling on the HFPA to diversify its membership and better reflect the industry it holds sway over.

“As our colleagues across the industry say, TIME’S UP,” the guild said in a statement. “The time for change is now.”

Two-time nominee Sterling K. Brown, who’s presenting on Sunday, said in an Instagram post that “having a multitude of Black presenters does not absolve you of your lack of diversity.”

“87 people wield a tremendous amount of power,” said Brown, who won a Globe in 2018. “For any governing body of a current Hollywood award show to have such a lack of voting representation illustrates a level of irresponsibility that should not be ignored.” – AP

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