Coronavirus Omicron India Highlights | With 2,38,018 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,76,18,271, which includes 8,891 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday.
The active cases have increased to 17,36,628, the highest in 230 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,86,761 with 310 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
There has been an 8.31 per cent increase in Omicron cases since Monday, the ministry said. Experts said it is not possible to undertake genome sequencing of each and every sample but stressed that the current wave is largely being driven by the Omicron variant.
The active cases comprise 4.62 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 94.09 per cent, the ministry said.
An increase of 80,287 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Israel sticks with 4th vaccine shot, sees Omicron wave waning next week
Israel will continue to offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot despite preliminary findings that it is not enough to prevent Omicron infections, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday, predicting contagions stoked by the variant will wane in a week.
With his government scaling back Omicron counter-measures to ease the strain on the economy, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett sought to cast Israel's still-high case numbers primarily as a result of an en-masse testing drive rather than infection rates.
The fastest country to roll out vaccinations a year ago, Israel last month started offering a fourth shot - also known as a second booster - to its most vulnerable and high-risk groups.
A preliminary study published by an Israeli hospital on Monday found that the fourth shot increases antibodies to even higher levels than the third but "probably" not enough to fend off the highly transmissible Omicron.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates |
Booster vaccination drives to be done for frontline workers and health workers. As the testing is high in Karnataka, the cases are high as well. If precautionary measures are taken, the third wave can be managed well in the state: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Assam reports 8,072 new cases, highest single-day spike
Assam on Tuesday reported 8,072 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the onset of the pandemic, pushing the tally to 6,61,789, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said. The minister said 16 more fatalities due to the disease were reported on Tuesday, five more than the previous day's figure, taking the death toll to 6,233.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates |
Jammu and Kashmir reports 4,651 new COVID-19 cases -- 1,546 from Jammu and 3,105 from Kashmir in the last 24 hours; Active cases in the UT stand at 21,677.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates |
Maharashtra reports 39,207 new COVID cases, 38,824 recoveries, and 53 deaths today. Active cases: 2,67,659. Today, no new case of Omicron variant is reported in the state.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Karnataka's COVID-19 test positivity rate crosses 22% as daily cases rise to over 41,000 today
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao writes to Union Health Minister requesting to reduce gap between second dose and precautionary dose
Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao writes to Union Health Minister requesting to reduce gap between second dose and precautionary dose from 9 months to 6 months & further reduce gap between these vaccine doses to 3 months for health care workers.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Nepal logs a record 10,258 coronavirus cases
Nepal on Tuesday registered a record 10,258 fresh cases of COVID-19, the largest single-day rise so far, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.The Kathmandu Valley alone recorded 5,549 cases, it said. As many as 22,828 swab samples were tested. Of them, 8,730 polymerase chain reaction and 1,528 antigen tests turned out to be positive.The ministry said this was the first time when the COVID-19 cases have crossed the 10,000-mark in Nepal. There are currently 39,223 active cases across the country. Among them, 37,826 are in self-isolation, 1,218 in institutional isolation, 151 in ICUs and 28 on ventilators.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Mumbai reports 6,149 new cases - 193 more than yesterday
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Delhi reports 11,684 new COVID-19 cases & 38 deaths in last 24 hours
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Schools, colleges to remain closed till January 31 due to pandemic: Home and Education Minister of Puducherry A Namassivayam
Home and Education Minister of Puducherry A Namassivayam said on Tuesday that all schools conducting classes for students of Standards X to XII would remain closed till January 31 as he said coronavirus is spreading in the Union Territory.He told reporters after holding discussions with officials of the Health and Education Departments earlier that colleges also would remain closed till this month-end. He said the government had been holding classes from X to XII and also for students in colleges as the students aged between 15 and 18 years were being vaccinated against the pandemic. “Considering the current situation of the virus, all classes in high and higher secondary schools and also colleges will remain closed,” he said.Already, classes one to IX were cancelled from January 10, he said
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Kerala reports 28,481 new COVID-19 cases and 7,303 recoveries and 39 deaths
Kerala reports 28,481 new COVID-19cases and 7,303 recoveries and 39 deaths. The active cases 1,42,512 83 deaths added as per the new guidelines of the Central government. The total deathtoll stands at51,026, theState Government said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Third wave may peak in next three weeks
The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to peak much earlier than anticipated and may take a maximum of three more weeks, even though the share of rural districts in new caseloads has increased significantly since December, says a report. The optimism comes from the massive decline in new caseloads in the top 15 districts which had the maximum infections, SBI Research said in a report on Tuesday.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Sikkim Reports 374 New Covid Cases, 2 Fresh Fatalities
Sikkim’s Covid-19 tally rose to 35,303 on Tuesday as 374 more people tested positive for the infection, 157 more than the previous day, a health bulletin said. The Himalayan state’s death toll rose to 415 as two more patients succumbed to the infection, it said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Fourth Covid vaccine partially effective against Omicron, Israeli study shows
A fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine boosts antibodies to higher levels than the third jab but provides only partial protection against the Omicron variant of coronavirus, according to a preliminary study conducted in Israel. The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study tested the efficacy and safety of vaccines andanalysedwhether the combination of vaccines from different manufacturers would affect the rate of increase of antibodies.The researchers from Sheba Medical Center in Israel gave second booster shots in a trial to its staff, and studied the effect of the Pfizer booster in 154 people after two weeks and theModernabooster in 120 people after one week. Preliminary results indicate that one week after the administration of a fourth dose ofModernavaccine, the rate of antibodies increased similarly to that found one week after the administration of a fourth dose of Pfizer.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Centre Flags Decline in Covid Testing, Asks States to Enhance It
Flagging a decline in the number of Covid-19 tests in many states and union territories, the Centre on Monday asked them to enhance testing so that an effective track of the spread of the pandemic can be kept and immediate citizen-centric action can be initiated. In a letter to states andUTs, Additional Secretary in the Union Health MinistryArtiAhujaadvised them to pay attention to this aspect immediately and increase the testing in a strategic manner keeping in view the trend of case positivity in specific areas. She highlighted that Omicron, which has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant of concern, is currently spreading across the country. Referring to the ministry’s earlier letters and the Home Ministry advisory of December 27 last year laying out the broad framework of pandemic management in the context of Omicron,Ahujasaid testing remains a key and crucial component.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 49 New COVID-19 Cases In Andamans, Tally Rises To 8,695
The COVID-19 tally of Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 8,695 on Tuesday as 49 people tested positive for the infection, 16 less than the previous day, a health bulletin said.Thirty-two new patients have travel history, while 17 infections were detected during contact tracing, it said.The Union territory now has 449 active cases, while 8,117 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 66 in the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 63 new Omicron cases reported in Kerala
Kerala reported 63 more Omicron variant cases of coronavirus on Tuesday. These took the total affected by the new variant to 591. State Health Minister Veena George said of the 63, four belong to Tamil Nadu and have come to Kerala from various countries. "Out of those infected today, 36 were from low-risk nations, nine from high-risk countries. Nine people reached the State from other States; and nine contracted the disease through their contacts," George said in a press release.The Minister said seven people from Thiruvananthapuram and two in Thrissur contracted the disease from their contacts. Six of those confirmed with the Omicron variant in Thiruvananthapuram are college students who went on a class tour. The new variant was identified during the testing as the college became a cluster, the Health Department said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Japan sees record 27,000 COVID-19 cases as government mulls curbs
Japan's new COVID-19 cases jumped to a record on Tuesday, local media reported, as the government considered expanding measures to contain the infectious Omicron coronavirus variant.The country had more than 27,000 new cases, broadcaster TBS said, exceeding the previous high seen in August shortly after Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics. The western prefecture of Osaka posted a record 5,396 new cases, while Tokyo had 5,185, the highest since Aug. 21. Tokyo and 12 other prefectures have requested infection-fighting measures from the central government, Economy MinisterDaishiroYamagiwatold reporters, amid concern that Omicron infections would overwhelm the healthcare system. The measures permit governors to order curbs on mobility and business, including shorter opening hours for bars and restaurants. An official decision on the quasi-emergency measures, as they are called, may be declared as early asWednesday, theYomiurinewspaper said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Stempeutics gets DCGI nod for Phase 3 clinical trial on its product for treating COVID patients
Stempeutics, a group company of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), on Tuesday said it has received DCGI clearance to conduct Phase 3 clinical trial on its product for treating COVID-19 patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The company will be using its stem cell product, Stempeucel, for conducting the label extension Phase 3 clinical trial.
The product is already approved for marketing for the treatment of critical limb ischemia by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). Stempeucel exhibits potent immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties which could help in reducing the inflammation caused due to the cytokine storm elicited by the body’s immune cells in response to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) related infection in the lungs, Stempeutics said in a statement.
"Coronavirus third wave appears to be mild-to-moderate. But the most severely affected CoV-2 infected patients will often go on to develop ARDS which necessitates assisted ventilation to preserve breathing and lung function. "Moreover, many ARDS patients may also experience an acute inflammatory response (cytokine storm) which can result in long-term damage to lung tissue and lung function," Stempeutics Chairman Sudarshan Ballal noted.
"Moreover, many ARDS patients may also experience an acute inflammatory response (cytokine storm) which can result in long-term damage to lung tissue and lung function," Stempeutics Chairman Sudarshan Ballal noted. Treating ARDS patients with allogeneic expanded bone marrow derived MSCs could alleviate lung inflammation and compromised lung function and significantly reduce the time required for patients to be ventilated, he stated. "The results of this trial would be very crucial in confirming this," Ballal said. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Stempeutics is an advanced clinical-stage biotech company.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Over 50 lakh healthcare, frontline workers taken precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Over 50 lakh healthcare, frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years and above have been administered the precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine since January 10, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday. With the administration of nearly 80 lakh vaccine doses in a span of 24 hours, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 158.04 crore as per provisional reports till 7 am.
"Another Day, Another Milestone Over 50 lakh healthcare & frontline workers and citizens aged 60 years or above have received precaution Dose, since 10th January. I request all those who are eligible to get their precaution dose at the earliest," Mandaviya tweeted. India began administering precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare workers, frontline workers including personnel deployed for election duty and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 amid the country witnessing a spike in coronavirus infections fuelled by Omicron variant of the virus.
However, the countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions.
The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1, 2021. The government then decided to expand its vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination has commenced from January 3 this year for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Israel sticks with 4th vaccine shot, sees Omicron waning in a week
Israel will continue to offer a fourth COVID-19 vaccine shot despite preliminary findings that it is not enough to prevent Omicron infections, a senior health official said on Tuesday, predicting contagions stoked by the variant will wane in a week. The fastest country to roll out vaccinations a year ago, Israel last month started offering a fourth shot - also known as a second booster - to its most vulnerable and high-risk groups.
A preliminary study published by an Israeli hospital on Monday found that the fourth shot increases antibodies to even higher levels than the third but "probably" not enough to fend off the highly transmissible Omicron. Health Ministry director-general Nachman Ash described those findings as "unsurprising, to a degree" as Omicron infections had been logged in some people after they received fourth doses.
"But we assess that protection from serious morbidity, especially for the elderly population and at-risk population, is still afforded by this vaccine (dose), and therefore I call on people to keep coming to get vaccinated," he told Army Radio. As elsewhere, Israel has seen COVID-19 cases spiral due to Omicron. But it has logged no deaths from the variant, and Ash said there had been no increase in the number of COVID-19 patients on ECMO machines - a gauge of the most critical cases.
"In another week we will begin seeing a drop in the numbers, but we still have two or three difficult weeks ahead," he said. Hoping to reduce strain on the economy, Israel on Monday cut the mandatory quarantine period for COVID-19 carriers to five days. To husband PCRs and reduce queuing at public testing sites, it has encouraged more use of home antigen kits. The Health Ministry has been issuing regular updates on COVID-19 in Israel but these have been disrupted since Sunday due to "major overloads on our computer systems," Ash said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | China suspects COVID-19 might arrive in overseas mail
China is urging people to wear masks and gloves when opening mail, especially from abroad, after authorities suggested the first case of the Omicron coronavirus virus variant found in Beijing could have arrived via a package from Canada. Authorities vowed to step up disinfection of overseas mail and are insisting postal staff handling it are fully vaccinated.
The precautions come less than three weeks before the capital opens the Winter Olympic Games and as several cities work to stamp out new outbreaks of coronavirus infections. "Minimize purchases of overseas goods or receiving mail from abroad," state broadcaster CCTV said late on Monday in a social media post. "Be sure to protect yourself during face-to-face handovers and wear masks and gloves; try to open the package outdoors."
Health officials said the person found infected with the Omicron variant opened a package from Canada that had been routed through the United States and Hong Kong and transmission via the package "could not be ruled out". The case highlighted the importance of "personal defence", CCTV said. Similar suggestions on how to handle parcels, not just those from overseas, were made by the National Health Commission on its official WeChat account and reposted by authorities in the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing.
China has been an outlier in asserting that COVID-19 can be transmitted via cold-chain imports such as frozen meat and fish, even though the World Health Organization has played down the risk, and has been pushing a narrative via state media that the virus existed abroad before it was discovered in late 2019 in the central city of Wuhan. In recent weeks, China has been battling a resurgence in cases in several cities, some of them of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. On Tuesday, it reported 127 new local cases with confirmed symptoms.
The State Post Bureau issued a notice on Monday stating that international mail must be disinfected after reaching China, and staffers who process and deliver international mail must have received COVID-19 vaccinations and a booster. China Post has also been reminding recipients of overseas mail to disinfect the contents "in a timely manner" with stickers pasted on parcels.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Over 50 lakh healthcare & frontline workers & citizens aged 60 years or above have received Precaution Dose, since 10th January
Over 50 lakh healthcare & frontline workers & citizens aged 60 years or above have received Precaution Dose, since 10th January. I request all those who are eligible to get their Precaution Dose at the earliest: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | With 63 Omicron cases reported in Kerala today, total tally reached to 591
63 more Omicron confirmed in Kerala today, taking the case tally to 591. Of 591 cases, 401 persons arrived from 'low-risk' countries, 101 persons from 'high-risk' countries, 70 persons were contacts of patients and 19reached from other States: Kerala Health Minister's Office
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates
| Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of visitors to be substantially curtailed this year. We are looking at a range of 5000 to 8000 people but we have not yet finalised that. Last year, 25,000 visitors had taken part in it: Senior Defence Ministry officials
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | India should adopt risk-based approach not blanket bans to contain COVID-19: WHO India head
Blanket approaches such as complete restriction on the movement of people and travel bans can be counterproductive in containing Covid in a country like India, says WHO’s India representative Roderico H Ofrin while advocating target, risk-based strategies to counter the pandemic.
Stressing on the need to protect both lives and livelihoods, he said public health action in India and across the world must be continually guided by evidence from four key questions — how transmissible is the variant, severity of the disease it causes, how well vaccines and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection protect and how common people perceive risk and follow control measures.
"WHO does not recommend a blanket travel ban, nor complete restriction of people’s movement. In many ways, such blanket approaches can be counterproductive. India with its diversity in population distribution and geographic spread, the risk-based approach remains the wiser public health practice to counter a pandemic," Ofrin told.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Czech Republic sees biggest daily jump in COVID cases since December 1
The Czech Republic reported on Tuesday more than 20,000 new cases of COVID-19, the biggest single-day rise since Dec. 1, the Health Ministry said. The central European country of 10.7 million is bracing for a new wave of the pandemic as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus begins pushing up cases.
The government has shortened quarantine and isolation times as part of new measures while also launching mandatory testing of employees at companies, which got underway this week. On Monday, the Health Ministry recorded 20,270 new coronavirus infections, up from 7,342 a week earlier. Hospitalisations, which peaked above 7,000 in early December in the last wave, stood at 1,660 on Monday, up a touch from Sunday.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Bulgaria reports new peak for daily coronavirus cases
Bulgaria reported 9,996 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, setting a new record daily tally following a surge of cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Health authorities in the European Union's least vaccinated country said 161 deaths had been reported on Tuesday. Bulgaria changed its rules that could prompt new restrictions, linking them to the occupancy of intensive care beds rather than the number of new infections. For now, health authorities are not imposing new measures, with 5,223 people in hospitals and 541 in intensive care units. The country of 7 million people has reported 830,604 infections since the start of the pandemic and 32,247 COVID-related deaths.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam tests positive for COVID-19
Delhi's Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Tuesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is in home isolation. He requested people who came in contact with him to get themselves tested.
I have been in home isolation due to mild fever and cough for the last four days. I underwent a Covid test on Monday, and the report came out positive, he tweeted, adding he is feeling better now. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had tested positive for the viral disease on January 4. Kejriwal, who had mild symptoms, recovered from the infection on January 9. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain contracted the infection in its previous waves.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Some COVID-19 patients may be infectious even after ten days: Study
One in ten people may still be infectious for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, after the 10 day quarantine period, according to a study. The research, published recently in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, used a newly adapted test which can detect whether the virus was potentially still active.
The test was applied to samples from 176 people in Exeter, UK, who had tested positive on standard PCR tests. The team led by researchers at the University of Exeter found that 13 per cent of people still exhibited clinically-relevant levels of virus after 10 days, meaning they could potentially still be infectious. Some people retained these levels for up to 68 days, the researchers found. They believe this new test should be applied in settings where people are vulnerable, to stop the spread of COVID-19.
"While this is a relatively small study, our results suggest that potentially active virus may sometimes persist beyond a 10 day period, and could pose a potential risk of onward transmission," said Professor Lorna Harries, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who oversaw the study. "Furthermore, there was nothing clinically remarkable about these people, which means we wouldn’t be able to predict who they are," Harries said.
Conventional PCR tests work by testing for the presence of viral fragments. While these tests can tell if someone has recently had the virus, they cannot detect whether it is still active, and the person is infectious.
However, the test used in the latest study gives a positive result only when the virus is active and potentially capable of onward transmission. "In some settings, such as people returning to care homes after illness, people continuing to be infectious after ten days could pose a serious public health risk," said study lead author Merlin Davies, of the University of Exeter Medical School. "We may need to ensure people in those setting have a negative active virus test to ensure people are no longer infectious," Davies added.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Puducherry posts big jump in daily coronavirus cases
Puducherry witnessed an increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases during the last twenty-four hours ending 10 a.m. on Tuesday as 2,093 fresh infections were added to its tally, which reached 1,40,710. The new cases were identified at the end of examination of 6,028 samples. Puducherry region alone accounted for 1,715 new cases out of the 2093 reported today while Karaikal had 279 cases, Mahe 45 and Yanam 54.
Three more people, including a 32 year old woman, succumbed to the infection in the last twenty four hours raising the overall toll to 1893. The active cases stood at 10,393 with 163 patients out of them being in hospitals taking treatment and remaining 10,230 patients in home isolation, Director of Health and Family Welfare Services G Sriramulu said.
He said 256 patients recovered and were discharged during last 24 hours while the overall recoveries were 1,28,424. The Department of Health has tested so far 20,99,294 samples and has found 17, 77, 437 out of them to be negative. Sriramulu said the test positivity rate was 35.72 percent while fatality and recovery rates were 1.35 percent and 91.27 percent respectively. He added that 15,03,355 doses have been administered so far and they comprised 9.09,544 first doses, 5,90,824 second and 2987 booster doses.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Arunachal Pradesh logs 404 new COVID-19 cases, tally climbs to 57,037
Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday reported the highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases so far this month, as 404 more people tested positive for the virus, raising the tally to 57,037, a senior health department official said. The death toll remained at 282 as no fresh fatality was reported in the past 24 hours, he said.
The new cases include five personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) jawans as well as seven inmates of Jullang Jail near here, State Surveillance Officer Lobsang Jampa said. Arunachal Pradesh now has 1,476 active cases, while 55,279 patients have recovered from the disease thus far.
The Capital Complex Region, comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at 582, followed by West Kameng at 174, Changlang (138), Lower Dibang Valley (91), Lohit (83) and Namsai at 77 cases, Jampa said. A total of 12,18,216 samples have been tested for COVID-19, the official said, adding, the positivity rate stood at 21.38 percent. State Immunisation Officer Dimong Padung said altogether 15,39,873 people have been inoculated.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Tianjin reports fewer COVID-19 cases; curbs affect some Boeing employees
The Chinese city of Tianjin reported fewer COVID-19 cases on Tuesday after quickly taking measures to curb the highly transmissable Omicron variant, steps that have also affected the local operations of foreign firms such as Boeing. Tianjin, a key port in northern China, reported 18 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms for Monday, the National Health Commission (NHC) data showed on Tuesday. That marks the lowest daily number in a week.
NHC official He Qinghua said on Saturday the risk of the Tianjin outbreak spreading to other areas was gradually declining, as new cases in the past three days were mainly in people who had been quarantined. The China unit of U.S. planemaker Boeing said on Tuesday that a small number of employees has been impacted by various "community-level lockdowns" during the Tianjin outbreak.
"We are currently maintaining a normal level of operation," Boeing China said in a reponse to Reuters queries. Assembly plants for Volkswagen and Toyota in Tianjin remained closed due to the outbreak. The component factory of Volkswagen in the city has resumed some of the shifts since Thursday last week, according to a statement from Volkswagen Group China on Tuesday.
Tianjin reported over 300 local symptomatic cases from the current cluster, which has also spread Omicron infections to two other cities. It remains unclear how many local cases exactly in Tianjin were Omicron. Tianjin's caseload remains smaller than many outbreaks overseas, but it has made it harder for locals to leave town, sealed up higher risk communities and launched multiple rounds of testing among its 14 million residents, under China's guideline to quickly curb any flare-up as soon as possible.
The nation's capital Beijing, about to stage the Winter Olympics Games starting Feb. 4, reported one local case with confirmed symptoms for Monday. The infected individual was a close contact of a local Omicron case reported for Jan. 15. The central Chinese city of Anyang, which detected Omicron in an outbreak that it said could be traced back to a person arriving from Tianjin, reported 94 local symptomatic cases for Monday, the highest daily count since Jan. 8.
Anyang has stepped up its curbs over the weekend, demanding residents not to leave their communities or villages at will. China reported a total of 127 local cases with confirmed symptoms for Monday, down from 163 a day earlier. There were no new deaths for Monday, leaving the death toll at 4,636. As of Jan. 17, mainland China had 105,258 confirmed symptomatic cases, including both local and imported ones.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Omicron wave decline in India can be as swift as surge: SBI report
India's third covid wave peak may come within 2-3 weeks if districts such as Bengaluru, Pune arrest the rise of the new infections, according to a research report by SBI. The report states that Mumbai has achieved its third wave peak - 20971 cases on 7th Jan 2022 - and cases are stabilising in India's financial capital since then. On Monday, Dr Manindra Agrawal, Professor of IIT Kanpur, said that the third wave of COVID-19, which is caused by Omicron, has reached its peak in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata as predicted by IIT's Sutra model.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Records show Bihar doctor took 5 Covid vaccine shots, probe ordered
The Bihar government has ordered an investigation after records showed that a Patna-based civil surgeon was administered five shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. The civil surgeon, Dr Vibha Kumari Singh, however, said she had taken the jab thrice as per rules. Singh also claimed that someone else managed to get vaccine shots using her PAN card details, and called for a probe.
According to the CoWIN portal, she received the first dose on January 28, 2021 and was fully vaccinated by March last year. Government records showed Singh was also jabbed on February 6, 2021 using her PAN card information, and for the fourth time on June 17 that year. She then took a precautionary dose on January 13, 2022.
Patna District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh on Monday said the administration has started an investigation. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty, he said. Earlier this month, an 84-year-old man in the north Bihar district of Madhepura caused a flutter with the claim that he has taken a dozen shots of the coronavirus vaccine. I have used my Aadhaar card and my voter ID card on different occasions to get myself registered. Every single dose has helped relieve my chronic back pain. I have never caught a cold since I took the first shot 11 months ago, the octogenarian Brahmadeo Mandal had said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 11,086 Covid cases in Odisha, positivity 15.62%
Odisha reported 11,086 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, 597 more than the previous day, while four more patients died, the Health Department said. The daily test positivity rate rose to 15.62 per cent from 14.96 as 70,990 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, a bulletin stated.
Khurda district, where Bhubaneswar is located, reported nearly one-third of the new cases at 3,469, followed by 1,416 cases in Sundargarh and 766 in Cuttack, it said. As many as 1,061 children were among the new patients. The daily cases jumped by more than 56 per cent from 7,071 a week ago. The state had logged 10,489 cases on Monday.
The active cases surged to 80,914, including 27,010 in Khurda that is in the red zone of districts where current cases are over 2,500. Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Cuttack, Balasore and Mayurbhanj are also on the list. Puri and Bolangir are among the nine districts that are in the yellow zone with over 1,000 patients.
The toll mounted to 8,488 with a fatality each in Cuttack, Sundargarh, Kendrapara and Koraput. Fifty-three other patients have died due to comorbidities so far, according to the bulletin.The case tally climbed to 11,55,487. So far, 10,66,032 patients, including 5,965 on Monday, have recovered, it added.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | COVID-19 caseload in Ladakh rises to 23,536
Ladakh reported 152 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the overall caseload in the Union Territory to 23,536 and active cases to 844, officials said on Tuesday. The highest 132 positive samples were received from Leh district while 20 cases surfaced in Kargil district, the officials said. According to the officials, the COVID-19 death toll remained unchanged at 222 with 164 fatalities in Leh and 58 in Kargil. They said 120 patients were discharged from hospitals in Leh and eight in Kargil after undergoing successful treatment for COVID-19, taking the number of recovered cases in Ladakh to 22,470. Of the active cases, 714 are under treatment in Leh and 130 in Kargil, the officials said. They said the total positivity rate of Ladakh stands at 3.8 per cent.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 2,500 cops infected, 767 cured of COVID since January 1: Police
About 2,500 Delhi Police personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 since January 1 and 767 of them have recovered, an official said on Monday. According to the latest data, since January 1, about 2,500 Delhi Police personnel from all ranks and units of the force tested positive for Covid. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Chinmoy Biswal who is also the spokesperson of Delhi Police had tested positive for the virus. He, however, has recovered and resumed work, a senior police officer said.
"Many of them are recouping well and resuming their duties on a daily basis," the officer added. "About 2,500 personnel have tested positive for Coronavirus since January 1 till date. Out of them, 767 infected personnel of the force have recovered and resumed their work," said Biswal, Delhi Police PRO. Meanwhile, a special camp is being organised for police personnel of all ranks to administer booster doses to eligible ones.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Raj Bhavan Goa to remain closed to visitors till January 23 amid COVID surge
Gaurish J. Shankhwalker, Joint Secretary to Governor said that in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, Raj Bhavan will remain closed to visitors for 1 week, until January 23, 2022.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | India reports 2,38,018 new COVID-19 cases, 310 deaths
With 2,38,018 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,76,18,271, which includes 8,891 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday. The active cases have increased to 17,36,628, the highest in 230 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,86,761 with 310 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
There has been an 8.31 per cent increase in Omicron cases since Monday, the ministry said. Experts said it is not possible to undertake genome sequencing of each and every sample but stressed that the current wave is largely being driven by the Omicron variant. The active cases comprise 4.62 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 94.09 per cent, the ministry said.
An increase of 80,287 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Delhi HC urged to direct govt to give road map to vaccinate kids of 12 years and below
A plea on Monday urged the Delhi High Court to direct the Central government to give a road map for vaccinating children of the age group of 12 years and below for COVID-19. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said it would hear the plea on March 22.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Australia recognises Sputnik V vaccine for international travellers
Australia has recognized Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, which is also in use in India, against coronavirus for those travelling to the country. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of the Australian government’s health department on January 17 said it would recognise the Gamaleya Institute’s two-dose vaccine course “for the purpose of establishing a traveller's vaccination status”. Australia has made Covid vaccination a must for visitors as it battles a record spike in coronavirus cases. Its vaccine mandate made headlines as tennis superstar Novak Djokovic, in the country to defend his Australian Open title, was deported on January 16 after a prolonged drama over his unvaccinated status.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Over 3.5 crore children between the 15-18 years received first dose of COVID-19 vaccine: Mansukh Mandaviya
"Over 3.5 crore children between the 15-18 age group have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, since 3rd January," Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted on January 17.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 158.04 crores
India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeds 158.04 crores, as nearly 80 lakh vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours: Union Health Ministry
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 26th International Film Festival of Kerala postponed amid COVID surge
Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cherian on January 17 said that the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala scheduled to be held from 4th to 11th February has been postponed considering the the current Covid19 situation in the state.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | No decision yet by the union health ministry on vaccination for children of age group 12-14 years: Official sources
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Thane district logs 4,583 COVID-19 cases, 6 fatalities
With the addition of 4,583 fresh coronavirus positive cases, the tally of infections in Thane district of Maharashtra rose to 6,73,659, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were reported on Monday, he said. As the virus claimed the life of six more persons, the death toll in the district has gone up to 11,664. The mortality rate is 1.73 per cent, he added. In the neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,56,724 while the death toll is 3,342, a local official said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 967 Schools to be transformed into vaccination centres from January 19 in Kerala
Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty said that 967 schools with above 500 student beneficiaries each shall be transformed into vaccination centres from January 19 for children between the age group of 15 to 18 years. A total of 8.14 lakh students will get vaccinated.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Andhra CM decides to write to PM Modi to reduce gap of precautionary dose' from existing nine months to six months
CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has held a review meeting on prevailing Covid situation & decided to write a letter to the Centre seeking to reduce the gap for administering 'precautionary dose' from existing nine months to six months, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's Office said. The CM has directed the officials to focus on scaling up vaccination in five districts - East Godavari, Guntur, YSR Kadapa, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam- with the lowest second dose vaccination.
