Here are the top updates of the day:

10.58 pm: United Kingdom’s medicines regulator issues warning for people with “significant history of allergic reactions to medicines, food or vaccines” to not have the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, reports PTI.

The warning comes after two National Health Service workers experienced “anaphylactoid reaction” symptoms shortly after being injected, but are now said to be recovering well.

10.57 pm: Canada’s health regulator approves Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, reports Reuters. The vaccine will now be delivered and administered across the country.

8.56 pm: The medical regulator in the United Kingdom has said that people with “significant” history of allergic reactions to medicines, food or vaccines should not receive the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, reports PTI. The warning comes after two National Health Service workers experienced “anaphylactoid reaction” symptoms shortly after being injected, but are now said to be recovering well.

8.55 pm: Amnesty International and other groups say that rich countries have secured enough coronavirus vaccines to protect their populations, nearly three times over by the end of 2021, reports Reuters. They say this will deprive billions of people in poorer parts of the world.

8.50 pm: More new coronavirus cases in states, according to ANI.

  • Karnataka: 1,279 new coronavirus cases, tally rises to 8,96,563. With 20 deaths, the toll is at 11,900.
  • Uttarakhand: 515 new coronavirus cases, tally rises to 79,656. With 13 deaths, the toll is at 1,320.
  • Tamil Nadu: 1,232 new coronavirus cases, tally rises to 7,94,020. With 14 deaths, the toll is at 11,836.   
  • Andhra Pradesh: 618 new coronavirus cases, tally rises to 8,73,457.  

6.03 pm: Media report about rejection of emergency use authorisation of Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech’s vaccine is fake, says Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, reports ANI.

4.23 pm: Only India has the manufacturing capacity to produce sufficient quantities of coronavirus vaccine to satisfy demands all countries, says Australian Ambassador to India Barry O’Farrell, following visit of foreign envoys to drug manufacturer Bharat Biotech’s facility in Hyderabad, reports ANI.

4.17 pm: Supreme Court adjourns hearing on pleas seeking an extension of the loan moratorium period and waiver of interest on interest on term loans in view of coronavirus pandemic to December 14, reports ANI.

1.55 pm: The foreign envoys take a tour of Bharat Biotech’s facility in Hyderabad.

1.47 pm: The Supreme Court directs the Centre and states to submit detailed responses in three days on adherence to safety rules like wearing face masks and observing physical distancing norms in hospitals as well as fire safety guidelines, PTI reports.

1.44 pm: The ministry adds that Kerala reported the highest new cases in 24 hours, followed by Maharashtra.

1.43 pm: The health ministry says India’s active cases are now less than 4% of the total infections.

1.38 pm: The foreign envoys arrive for a briefing at Bharat Biotech’s facility in Hyderabad, ANI reports.

12.07 pm: 64 envoys and high commissioners of various countries will visit two key biotechnology companies in Hyderabad that are developing vaccines against Covid-19, reports NDTV.

9.42 am: The Union health ministry said on Tuesday that three Covid-19 vaccines, developed by Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute of India and Pfizer, are under active consideration of India’s drug regulator, adding that there is hope that early licensing is possible for all or any of them, according to News18.

9.37 am: Jharkhand registers 182 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally in the state to 1,10,639, reports PTI. The overall tally includes 988 fatalities, 1,753 active cases and 1,07,898 recoveries.

9.28 am: Royal Caribbean “cruise-to-nowhere” to return to dock after one of the passenger tests positive for the coronavirus, reports Reuters. Other passengers are quarantined in their cabins.

9.11 am: United States President Donald Trump signs an executive order prioritising access of Covid-19 vaccines to Americans first, reports PTI. Trump says he is ready to invoke the Defence Production Act if necessary to ensure that Covid-19 vaccines first get to the Americans. The Defence Production Act allows a president to force private manufacturers to ramp up production and give the federal government priority on any orders it places.

9.08 am: The Indian Council of Medical Research conducted 10,22,712 Covid-19 tests on Tuesday. It has till Tuesday tested 14,98,36,767 samples.

9 am: Here are the top updates from Tuesday

  • India recorded 26,567 new coronavirus cases, taking its tally to 97,03,770. The toll rose to 1,40,958 with 385 more deaths. More than 91.78 lakh people have recovered from the disease so far.
  • The government confirmed that drug manufacturers Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech have applied for emergency use approval of their potential coronavirus vaccines. Secretary of Union Health Ministry Rajesh Bhushan said that six vaccine candidates are in clinical stage trial in India.
  • The coronavirus vaccine made by pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech provides strong protection against the coronavirus within about 10 days of the first dose, the US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.
  • Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 6.78 crore people and killed over 15.49 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Over 4.36 crore people have recovered from the infection.