Coronavirus updates, December 15: Latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic from Pakistan and around the world

Pakistan's COVID-19 tally rose to 443,246 on Tuesday after 2,459 new cases were detected in the past 24 hours across the country.

The province-wise break up of the total number of cases as of 9:00 am, December 15, is as follows:

Total confirmed cases: 443,246

• AJK: 7,750

• Balochistan: 17,771

• Gilgit-Baltistan: 4,793

• Islamabad Capital Territory: 35,045

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 52,787

• Punjab: 128,138

• Sindh: 196,962

Deaths: 8,905

• AJK: 191

• Balochistan: 175

• Gilgit-Baltistan: 99

• Islamabad Capital Territory: 377

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 1,477

• Punjab: 3,422

• Sindh: 3,164

More than 72,824,936 infections have been confirmed globally with over 1,620,490 deaths, according to the John Hopkins University tally.

End of live updates for December 15 

11:45pm — Paris, France — New coronavirus cases up, hospitalisations down

French health authorities reported 11,532 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, up from Monday's 3,063, but largely stable from Sunday's 11,533, while the number of people hospitalised for the disease resumed its decline.

The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections rose by 790 to 59,072 from 371 on Monday. The cumulative number of cases in France now totals 2,391,447, the fifth-highest in the world.

11:18pm — Ottawa, Canada — Canada expects 168,000 Moderna vaccine doses by year end

Canada will receive tens of thousands of doses of Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, and 200,000 more doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot are expected next week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

"Canada is now contracted to receive up to 168,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine before the end of December, pending Health Canada approval," Trudeau said in a news conference.

"We have now confirmed that next week we will receive about 200,000 of our total early order of doses from Pfizer," he added.

10:12pm — London, UK — 18,450 new cases of COVID-19, 506 deaths reported

Britain reported 18,450 new cases of COVID 19, alongside 506 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

9:21pm — Berlin, Germany — Merkel tells lawmakers she is worried by coronavirus trend 

Chancellor Angela Merkel told conservative lawmakers "I am worried" about the coronavirus trend in Germany, sources at the meeting said.

Merkel warned the lawmakers that January and February will be very tough months in Germany, with the number of patients in intensive care rising further.

8:30pm — Rome, Italy — 846 COVID-19 deaths, 14,844 new cases reported

Italy reported 846 coronavirus-related deaths against 491 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections rose to 14,844 from 12,030.

There were 162,880 swabs carried out in the past day, up from a previous 103,584, the ministry said.

The first Western country hit by the virus, Italy has seen 65,857 COVID-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the highest toll in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

It has also registered 1.871 million cases to date.

7:33pm — Brussels, Belgium — First COVID vaccinations in EU likely this year, EU Commission head says

European Union countries could begin coronavirus inoculations as soon as this year, the head of the European Commission said.

This followed the EU drug regulator's decision to bring forward its possible approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to Dec. 21.

"Likely that the first Europeans will be vaccinated before end 2020," Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter after a decision by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to hold an extraordinary meeting on the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 21, before a previously planned meeting on Dec. 29.

After possible approval by the EU regulator, the European Commission is expected to formally approve the Pfizer vaccine within three days, after consultations with the 27 EU governments.

7:00pm — Muscat, Oman — Oman issues licence to import Pfizer BioNTech Covid vaccine -TV

Oman's health ministry has issued a licence to import the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech against the novel coronavirus, the sultanate's state-run TV channel said.

6:20pm — Stockholm, Sweden — 20,931 new COVID-19 cases, 153 deaths registered

Sweden, whose soft-touch pandemic response has placed it in the global spotlight, registered 20,931 new coronavirus cases since Friday, Health Agency statistics showed.

The increase compared with 18,820 cases recorded in the corresponding period one week ago.

Sweden registered 153 new deaths, taking the total to 7,667. The deaths registered on Tuesday could have occurred over the past several weeks.

5:50pm — Warsaw, Poland — Poles should stay home at Christmas and New Year, says health minister

Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said on Tuesday that people should stay at home at Christmas and New Year to stop the spread of the coronavirus, as Poland plans to launch COVID-19 vaccinations soon.

"We cannot allow that the vaccinations take place when the pandemic escalates, as it will be difficult to organise an efficient vaccination process," Niedzielski told a news conference.

5:05pm — Islamabad, Pakistan — ICT records 205 new cases

4:36pm — Geneva, Switzerland — WHO sees "strong commitment" from Pfizer on affordable COVID vaccine

A World Health Organization senior official said on Tuesday that the agency was in talks with Pfizer to include its COVID-19 vaccine as part of an early global roll out.

Bruce Aylward, WHO senior adviser, said that he saw a "strong commitment" on the part of its CEO Albert Bourla to set prices at levels appropriate to poorer populations. He expected some news on more manufacturers joining the list of providers to the COVAX vaccine facility in coming weeks, he added.

3:30pm — Berlin, Germany — European regulator to approve COVID-19 vaccine on December 23: report

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is aiming to approve the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech on Dec. 23, German newspaper Bild reported on Tuesday, citing government and European Commission sources.

EMA said in early December it planned to decide on whether to approve the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine by Dec 29, and another being developed by Moderna by January 12. 

2:15pm — Dubai, UAE — Saudi Arabia starts registering people for COVID vaccination - state news agency

Saudi Arabia's health ministry has begun registering citizens and foreign residents for vaccination against COVID-19, the state news agency reported on Tuesday.

1:45pm — Gujranwala, Pakistan — Former federal minister Ghulam Dastagir tests positive for COVID-19

Former federal minister Ghulam Dastgir Khan has tested positive for the coronavirus, said the provincial health department on Tuesday.

The health department said that the former minister has been isolated at his home. The former federal minister is the father of PML-N leader Khurram Dastagir Khan.

The health department said that Khurram Dastagir’s two sisters and two nephews have also tested positive for the virus. All the infected people are in quarantine at the PML-N leader’s house.

1:30pm — Moscow, Russia — Russia reports 26,689 new coronavirus cases, 577 deaths

Russia on Tuesday reported 26,689 new coronavirus cases over the last 24 hours, including 5,418 in Moscow, pushing the national tally to 2,707,945.

Authorities said 577 people had died overnight, taking the official death toll to 47,968. 

1:00pm — Rome, Italy — Italy needs new restrictions to avoid third, devastating COVID-19 wave 

Italy's government will need to impose new restrictions during the holiday season to rein in contagion and avoid a third, devastating wave of the coronavirus, the prime minister said in an interview published on Tuesday.

"Further, new restrictions are now needed ... we must avert at all costs a third wave, because this would be devastating, also from the point of view of the loss of lives," Giuseppe Conte told La Stampa.

Conte's coalition government is considering more stringent nationwide rules for the Christmas and New Year holidays after crowds flocked to city centres over the weekend just after Rome had relaxed some restrictions put in place last month.

12:30pm — Sao Paulo — Brazil says China 'not transparent' on COVID-19 vaccine emergency use

Brazil's health regulator Anvisa said on Monday that China's health authorities are not transparent in authorizing emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines, a statement that may further inflame political tension in the South American country.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a consistent critic of China, has repeatedly cast doubt on the CoronaVac vaccine being developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd, saying its "origin" made it untrustworthy.

Meanwhile, in Sao Paulo, Brazil's most populous state, authorities have made a hard bet on the vaccine, with Governor Joao Doria, a Bolsonaro enemy, saying the state expected to start vaccinating its residents in January.

12:00am — Karachi, Pakistan — Sindh reports 47% increase in deaths of home-isolated patients 

There has been a 47% increase in the deaths of coronavirus patients being treated at homes in the first week of December compared to the same period last month, the Sindh health department said Tuesday.

It said that the province lost 53 people in home isolation to the coronavirus in the first 15 days of December. In November, 29 patients being treated at home had passed away.

The health department said the province lost eight people being treated at home to the virus on December 1.

11:45am — Berlin, Germany — Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 14,432

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 14,432 to 1,351,510, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday. 

The reported death toll rose by 500 to 22,475, the tally showed. 

11:30am — Bengaluru, India — India reports 22,065 new coronavirus cases, lowest daily rise since July 4

India reported 22,065 new coronavirus infections, taking its total to 9.9 million, data from the health ministry showed on Tuesday, making it the lowest daily rise since July 4, according to a Reuters tally.

India has recorded the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, after the United States, but daily infections have declined since hitting a peak in September.

Deaths rose by 354, the ministry said, taking the total to 143,709.

10:40am — Seoul, South Korea — S Korea reports 880 new coronavirus cases

South Korea reported 880 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, as the daily numbers continued to hover at unprecedented levels, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

The latest figure was up from 718 reported on Monday, a day after it hit a record daily spike of 1,030.

10:30am — Islamabad, Pakistan — COVID-19 runs unchecked in overcrowded prisons

A human rights report released Monday criticised Pakistan’s response to the coronavirus threat faced by tens of thousands of inmates stuck in overcrowded and often unsanitary prisons, foreign media reported.

Instead of following through on promises to ease prison overcrowding made when the pandemic first hit, Pakistan’s government has actually increased its inmate population by over 6,000 between April and August, from 73,242 to 79,603. Some of the few who were freed were later rearrested.

The joint report by London-based Amnesty International and Justice Project Pakistan said inmates face a growing risk of infection, and called for renewed efforts to free certain prisoners, particularly the elderly, women and “prisoners of conscience.”

10:00am — Mexico City, Mexico — Mexico reports 5,930 new coronavirus cases, 345 more deaths

Mexico's health ministry on Monday reported 5,930 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 345 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 1,255,974 cases and 114,298 deaths.

The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. 

9:30am — Karachi, Pakistan — Govt negotiating with eight vaccine manufacturers

A committee of experts formed by the government of Pakistan is engaged with eight manufacturers of the world for the purchase of the COVID-19 vaccine and it would be a big achievement for the authorities if they manage to get the vaccine for half a million frontline workers in the country in the first quarter of next year.

The COVID-19 vaccine is unlikely to be available for 90% of people in the world including Pakistan in the first six months of 2021 due to issues related to its availability as more than half of the vaccine production stocks have already been purchased by the high income countries. 

The focus of authorities in Pakistan would be to vaccinate half a million frontline healthcare workers in the first quarter and the remaining healthcare workers and people above 60 years of age in the second quarter.

“In the first half of the next year, only top priority people are expected to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan, who include half a million frontline healthcare workers, followed by all the healthcare workers and people above 60 years of age. As 50% to 60% vaccine production stocks have already been sold to higher income countries, the availability of vaccine in the private sector is also very unlikely in Pakistan before the second half of the next year,” said Dr Asad Hafeez, vice chancellor of Health Services Academy, Islamabad, while speaking at an online training workshop on Monday.

9:00am — Islamabad, Pakistan — Pakistan's Positivity ratio at 7.12%

Pakistan's positivity ratio stood at 7.12% on Tuesday with the country reporting 2,459 new patients in the last 24 hours.

Among the cities Hyderabad has the highest positivity ratio of 22.45%, followed by Karachi 19.89% and Peshawar 19.04%.

The NCOC data said that 2,495 COVID patients are in critical condition across Pakistan and the number of critical patients is rising fast.