Coronavirus Omicron Highlights | India saw a single-day rise of 1,41,986 new coronavirus cases, raising the tally to 3,53,68,372, which included 3,071 cases of Omicron variant reported across 27 states and union territories so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday. Of the 3,071 cases of Omicron variant, 1,203 have recovered or migrated, according to the data updated by the ministry at 8 am. Maharashtra has recorded the maximum number of 876 Omicron variant cases, followed by Delhi at 513, Karnataka 333, Rajasthan 291, Kerala 284 and Gujarat 204. A total of 1,41,986 new coronavirus infections were reported in a day, the highest in around 222 days. The active Covid cases have increased to 4,72,169, the highest in around 187 days, according to the data. The death toll has climbed to 4,83,463 with 285 fresh fatalities, it stated. A total of 1,52,734 new infections were reported on May 31 last year. The active Covid cases have increased to 4,72,169, comprising 1.34 per cent of the total infections.
The national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 97.30 per cent, the health ministry said. An increase of 1,00,806 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, it said. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 9.28 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 5.66 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people who have recuperated from COVID-19 surged to 3,44,12,740, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.37 per cent, it said. The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 150.06 crore, the ministry said.
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, 2020. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4, 2021, and three crore on June 23 of that year.
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Coronavirus LIVE Updates | BCCI may consider reducing venues for India-WI series due to rising COVID-19 cases
Rapidly rising COVID-19 cases across the country may force the BCCI to reduce the number of venues for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies but the cricket body has not yet formally discussed options. The third wave of coronavirus is fast gripping the country and several states have introduced curbs, including weekend lockdowns, to prevent the spread of infection.
India will host West Indies for six white-ball games -- three ODIs and as many T20Is -- at six venues, starting with the first 50-over match at Ahmedabad on February 6. "Nothing has been decided as of now. This is a fluid situation and we are keeping an eye on the situation, and we will take a call at appropriate time," a senior BCCI official told PTI.
PTI
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
Tamil Naduon January 8 reported10,978 new COVID-19 cases, along with 10 deaths in the past 24 hours. The state's tally of recoveries increased by 1,525 during the same period. The active caseload stood at 40,260.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
We should definitely not take Omicron lightly because a fraction of patients with diabetes, bronchitis, or asthma may become sick. There is no reason to panic as the majority of patients are improving on their own in 3-4 days: Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, Senior Consultant, Apollo Hospital
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Mumbai reports 20,318 new COVID cases
Mumbai reported 20,318 new COVID-19 cases on January 8, marginally lower than yesterday when the city had logged 20,971 fresh infections.The death count increased by five in the preceding 24 hours.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | Delhi logs over 20,000 new COVID cases
Delhi on January 8 reported 20,181 new COVID-19 cases, at a positivity rate of 19.60 percent. Seven deaths were recorded in the same period. The daily case count in the national capital has been rising steadily over the past two weeks. The Arvind Kejriwal-led government has imposed a 'yellow alert', which has led to the closure of schools and regulation of working hours of non-essential businesses, in a bid to reduce the disease's spread.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates | COVID-19 cases rising, but hospitalization, oxygen demand low, says Maharashtra health minister
Despite a rise in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, the need for hospitalization and oxygen support was low, state health minister Rajesh Tope said inJalnaon Saturday. He said the state task force and health department had given their assessment of the COVID-19 situation to Chief MinisterUddhavThackeray who will decide on the extent of restrictions etc. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates |
India's R-naught value which indicates the spread of COVID-19 was recorded at 4 this week, suggesting a very high infection transmission rate, according to a preliminary analysis by IIT Madras predicting the peak of the third wave between February 1-15. Read full report.
Coronavirus India Update: COVID-19 positive voters may submit postal vote in upcoming assembly polls: ECI
Voters who test positive for COVID-19 may submit their votes through postal ballot, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on January 8. The polling body is addressing a press conference to announce the dates for the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur. Track updates here.
Coronavirus India Update: Assam announces restrictions amid third wave
Announcing new restrictions, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the night curfew timing has been advanced to 10 pm from 11:30 pm now and it will continue till 6 am, besides the wearing of masks has been made compulsory.
"All schools in Assam up to class 5 will be closed from tomorrow and this will be up to class 8 in Guwahati till January 30. The rest of the classes will take place on a rotational basis on every alternate day," he added.
Sarma also said that except for hospitals, only fully vaccinated people will be allowed in public places like hotels, restaurants, cinema halls, government offices, schools, colleges, buses and malls.
"We will be very strict on this. If we find any non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated people in any of these places, there will be a fine of Rs 25,000 on the owner of the establishment. It'll be a kind of curfew for the people who are not fully vaccinated.
"For the government employees, if they are not fully vaccinated by January 15, they will not be allowed to come to the office and their salaries will be deducted on a daily basis," he said.
People travelling in two-wheelers and four-wheelers have to be double-vaccinated, Sarma said.
The chief minister said that the government is giving thrust on vaccination more as "there is no strategy to control Omicron" and the best way is to minimise the impact of an infected person.
"So far, 3.85 crore vaccine doses have been administered. As per our calculations, around 55 lakh people have not taken the second dose of the vaccine," he added.
In case of marriage ceremonies and meetings, only 200 people or 50 per cent of the capacity of the venue, whichever is less, will be allowed, while up to 60 fully vaccinated people per hour for iconic religious places and 40 fully vaccinated persons per hour for other religious places are allowed.
For all the inbound travellers in airports and railway stations, COVID-19 testing will be mandatory if the person is not fully vaccinated and samples will be taken from children below 15 years also as the Omicron is infecting the younger generation significantly, the CM said.
"However, the double vaccinated people will have to do a test at their homes on the next day and inform us of the report if it is positive. Then on the seventh day, if there is no hospitalisation, we will consider them as negative even if they do not test again," Sarma said.
Talking about the booster dose, Sarma said it will start from January 10 for frontline workers like healthcare and police personnel, and senior citizens who had taken their second dose nine months ago. (PTI)
Coronavirus India Update: State-wise updates for Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Assam, Pondicherry and Odisha
Jharkhand records 3,825 new COVID-19 infections, eight fresh fatalities
The COVID-19 surge in Jharkhand continues, with the state recording 3,825 new cases on Friday, up from 3,704 infections reported on the previous day, pushing the caseload to 3,69,047, a health department bulletin said. The cumulative toll rose to 5,161 with eight deaths reported during the last 24 hours. (PTI)
Sixty-four new cases take Meghalaya's COVID tally to 85,085
Meghalaya on Friday reported 64 new COVID-19 cases, 26 less than the previous day, with the tally rising to 85,085, a health department official said. The death toll remained at 1,485 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported, , Health Services Director Dr Aman War said. Fourteen more people were cured of the disease during the day, taking the total number of recoveries to 83,338. Meghalaya now has 262 active cases. Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said no fresh case of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus was reported in the state. Over 21.36 lakh people have been inoculated with 8,92,384 of them having received both doses of vaccines, War said. (PTI)
Assam facing third Covid wave; daily fresh cases crosses 1,000-mark after 5 months
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the third wave of the pandemic along with Omicron variant of Covid-19 has hit the state from January 1 and that the government will treat all fresh coronavirus cases to be of the highly infectious new variant. The state government also reported that the number of Covid-19 cases in Assam on Friday crossed 1,000 mark for the first time in five months with detection of 1,167 new cases. Addressing a press conference here, Sarma said that the doubling rate of cases is two days and on some occasions, it's even a single day. "So, we assume that there are lots of Omicron cases in Assam at this moment. We have now decided to consider all positive cases as Omicron and will treat them accordingly," he said.
At least seven more people, including a foreign returnee, have tested positive for Omicron variant of coronavirus in Assam, taking the tally of the new strain to nine, an official said on Friday. On Friday, the total number of cases increased by over 38 per cent over 844 patients detected on Thursday, the National Health Mission (NHM) Media Bulletin said.
Sarma said that the number of cases in Assam started rising from December 27 and the third wave with Omicron as the dominant variant has hit the state from January 1, while it is estimated that the peak of the second wave (6,573 cases in a day) will be touched by January 20. "By the end of January, we will reach the peak of the third wave. This will be much higher than the second wave's peak, say 10,000 or 12,000 or maybe even more. So, we've decided to ramp up our testing significantly to trace contacts," he added. (PTI)
Pondy sees big jump in daily COVID-19 cases, test positivity rate rises
Puducherry witnessed a big jump in the number of fresh coronavirus cases with 280 infections being reported during the last 24 hours ending 10 a.m. on Saturday pushing up the overall tally to 1,30,278. A 57 year old man hailing from neighbouring Villianoor succumbed to the virus, raising the toll to 1882. Director of Health G Sriramulu said the active cases were 825 with 96 patients being in hospitals taking treatment and the remaining 729 patients in home isolation. The Director said 16 patients recovered and were discharged during last twenty-four hours while overall recoveries stood at 1,27,571. (PTI)
Odisha logs 3,679 fresh COVID-19 cases, highest since June 18
Odisha registered 3,679 fresh COVID-19 cases, a 36 percent rise over the previous day and the biggest single-day spike in more than six months, the Health Department said on Saturday. The coastal state's coronavirus tally stood at 10.66 lakh. The daily test positivity rate rose to 5.15 per cent from 3.92 per cent on Friday., it said, adding, the new infections include 384 children. The death toll stood at 8,468 as no fresh fatality was reported in the past 24 hours. Fifty-three other Covid patients have died due to comorbidities so far, officials said.
Odisha now has 11,663 active cases, a steep climb from 8,237 a day earlier, while 10.46 lakh patients have recovered from the disease thus far, the bulletin said. A total of 71,432 samples have been tested for COVID-19 since Friday, it added. More than 2.99 crore people have been inoculated in the state so far. (PTI)
Coronavirus India Updates: 721 new COVID-19 infections in Noida, active cases highest in UP
Gautam Buddh Nagar on Friday logged 721 new COVID-19 infections that pushed the number of active cases in the district to 2,404, the highest in Uttar Pradesh, official data showed. Gautam Buddh Nagar's tally of active cases is followed by Ghaziabad (1,767) and Lucknow (1,718) and Meerut (1,207), with the four being the only districts in the state to have more than 1,000 active cases, the statistics showed. So far Gautam Buddh Nagar district has recorded 468 deaths due to the pandemic, none of them in the third wave.
Meanwhile, 21,165 people got vaccinated for coronavirus in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Friday, District Immunisation Officer Dr. Neeraj Tyagi said. Of those vaccinated, 8,541 were children in the 15+ age group who got their first dose. Among those aged above 18, a total of 5,280 people got their first dose while another 7,344 were administered their second dose, he added.
So far, 33.95 lakh COVID-19 vaccinations have been recorded in Gautam Buddh Nagar including 19.91 lakh first doses, according to last data available on CoWIN portal.
Uttar Pradesh on Friday recorded 4,228 new cases of COVID-19 that pushed its tally of active patients to 12,327. The state also had one death, reported in Maharajganj district, according to the official figures. (PTI)
Australia treasurer tests positive for COVID-19 as daily cases soar past 100,000
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he tested positive to COVID-19, joining other top government officials in contracting the disease as the daily infection rate surpassed 100,000 for the first time amid an outbreak of the Omicron variant.
"Like thousands of Australians, I tested positive today to COVID-19. I have the common symptoms and am isolating with my family," Frydenberg wrote in a short message which he posted to Twitter and Facebook late on Friday. He did not elaborate his post or disclose which variant he had.
Other high-ranked Australian lawmakers including Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Defence Minister Peter Dutton have contracted and overcome the illness.
Under current Australian COVID-19 guidelines, people who return a positive test and those deemed "close contacts" must isolate for seven days. Australia has been posting successive record numbers of new daily infections, with another surge on Saturday. The country reported 116,025 new cases, smashing the previous day's record of just over 78,000. Nearly 100,000 of the new cases were in the most populous states Victoria, which is home to the upcoming Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, and New South Wales. The country reported 25 new COVID-19 related deaths, its highest since the peak of the Delta wave in October 2021. (Reuters)
Omicron LIVE Updates: Omicron surge pushes US COVID-19 hospitalisations toward record high
COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States are poised to hit a new high as early as Friday, according to a Reuters tally, surpassing the record set in January of last year as the highly contagious Omicron variant fuels a surge in infections. Hospitalizations have increased steadily since late December as Omicron quickly overtook Delta as the dominant coronavirus variant in the United States, although experts say Omicron will likely prove less deadly than prior iterations.
Health officials have nevertheless warned that the sheer number of infections caused by Omicron was placing a strain on hospitals, some of which are struggling to keep up with the influx of patients because their own workers are out sick. "It's sort of like medical throughput gridlock," Dr Peter Dillon, the chief clinical officer at Penn State Health in Pennsylvania, said in an interview. "There (are) so many forces now contributing to the challenges and I think there's an element, I don't want to say despair, but of fatigue."
The United States reported 662,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the fourth-highest daily U.S. total, just three days after a record of nearly 1 million cases was hit, according to the Reuters tally. Read more here.
Exclusive | Daily Number Of Cases Doesn't Mean Anything, Data Shows Low Disease Severity, Says Covid Panel Chief
Dr Vidyasagar explained that the raw number positive cases of Omicron, is not an appropriate measure to highlight the intensity of the situation. He said that the heavily mutated coronavirus escapes…... Read More
Coronavirus India Update: Eight new cases push Nagaland's COVID-19 tally to 32,255
Nagaland on Friday reported eight new COVID-19 cases, 23 less than the previous day, pushing the tally in the state to 32,255, a health department official said. The state's coronavirus death toll remained at 703 as no patient succumbed to the disease during the last 24 hours. The state had logged one death due to the virus on Thursday. Nagaland now has 81 active COVID-19 cases, while 30,390 people have recovered from the disease, including eight in the last 24 hours, the official said. Altogether 1,081 coronavirus patients have migrated to other states to date. The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients in Nagaland is 94.21 percent. As many as 1,143 beneficiaries in the age group of 15-18 years were inoculated in the state on Wednesday, the health official said. A total of 13,40,872 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to 7,61,210 people in the state thus far. (PTI)
Coronavirus India Update: Bihar reports 3,048 fresh COVID-19 cases
Bihar has registered 3,048 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, an uptick of nearly 30 per cent, with Patna remained the worst affected district with 1362 new cases. On Wednesday and Thursday, Bihar had registered 1659 and 2379 fresh cases respectively. Two Covid patients, both women, died in Bihar on Thursday. Other than Patna, the fresh surge has badly hit Gaya, which accounted for 193 of the fresh cases.
Patna (5074) and Gaya (889) together also account for about 80 per cent of the state's total active caseload. Altogether 6.19 crore samples have been tested so far, including 1.84 lakh in the last 24 hours. The state has so far accounted for one confirmed case of the Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, with the continuing surge in Covid-19 cases in Bihar, Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha on Friday ordered complete closure of the Bihar Legislative Assembly secretariat from January 8 to January 17. The government has also ordered the closure of all schools, colleges, coaching centers and other educational institutions till January 21, 2022. The government and private offices will function with 50 per cent staff strength. The decision was taken after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar chaired a high-level meeting on late Thursday night and issued fresh guidelines which shut down all classes, including classes 9 to 12 and colleges that were reopened with 50 per cent strength. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Hong Kong leader orders probe of 13 officials who went to COVID-hit party
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has ordered an inquiry into the behaviour of 13 senior government officials who attended the birthday bash of a delegate to China's legislature, where two of the 170 guests tested positive for the coronavirus. The officials, along with 19 members of Hong Kong's new "patriots-only" legislative council - all of whom have so far tested negative - and the other guests were sent to a quarantine facility this week as authorities scramble to contain the emergence of a new wave of cases.
Lam said in a late Friday statement she ordered "detailed" investigations "as to whether the attendance of 13 officials at the banquet constitutes any breach of discipline." She added: "I have instructed all officials being subject to quarantine that they should not continue to discharge their duties and that they are required to take their own vacation leave for quarantine."
The party for the 53rd birthday of Witman Hung, a city delegate to the national legislature, took place on Monday, before new restrictions on social life came into force but after Lam appealed to Hong Kong people to avoid large gatherings.
A three-month streak of no transmission within the community ended on December 31, with the confirmation of the city's first local infection with the fast-spreading Omicron variant. Several more cases have been detected since and hundreds of their close contacts have been sent to quarantine.
Senior officials who attended included Home Affairs Secretary Casper Tsui, Director of Immigration Au Ka-wang, police commissioner Raymond Siu and the head of the city's Independent Commission against Corruption, Simon Peh, authorities said. All four and others have issued public apologies. It was the second such statement for Au, who paid a fine last year for attending a dinner in a luxury private club with more people than the four allowed at the time.
The global financial hub is one of the world's last places to stick to a goal of stopping local transmission of the virus altogether, by strict quarantines and largely isolating itself from the rest of the world. The city on Friday banned dining in restaurants after 6 p.m., closed venues including bars and clubs, gyms, beauty salons and swimming pools, and limited group gatherings to no more than four people. (Reuters)
Omicron LIVE updates: Data shows Omicron variant driving third wave of pandemic across states: Sources
The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic across all states is being driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, official sources said on Saturday, citing the latest data. Till a few days ago it was only in the western region of the country that the surge in Covid cases was due to Omicron, while in the northeastern states, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha the Delta variant was predominant. A source said, however, the latest data suggests that all eastern states have also reported high numbers of Omicron cases.
"So going by that it can be said that the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic across all states is being driven by the fast-spreading and highly transmissible Omicron variant," the source said. (PTI)
Coronavirus India Update: Delhi Police, Admin Officials Keep Vigil As Weekend Curfew Begins
Officials involved in essential and emergency services are included in the exempted category and can move out by showing their identity cards. People coming from or going to airports, railway stations…... Read More
Coronavirus India Update: 61 new coronavirus cases in Mathura
Sixty-one people tested positive for the coronavirus in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, officials said. Forty-five of those found infected with the virus were those whose samples were taken randomly on Thursday, said Dr Bhudeo Singh, incharge of the Rapid Response Team. He said while Vrindavan accounted for 18 of the new Covid cases in the district, one person each was found infected with the virus in Mathura jail and Military hospital. The officials said the district has logged 212 new coronavirus cases from December 1. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Amazon shortens COVID isolation, paid leave for US workers
Amazon.com Inc on Friday told workers they only have to isolate for a week after testing positive for COVID-19, instead of 10 days, following updated U.S. health guidance. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has prompted a spike in cases in the United States and worker shortages at schools, airlines and businesses. On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) backed recent guidance that people who contract the virus can end their isolation after five days.
In a message to staff, which Amazon shared with Reuters, the online retailer said its new week-long isolation policy took effect immediately. Workers with the virus can receive up to 40 hours of paid leave, a decrease corresponding to the shorter isolation period. "Do not come to work if you are sick. Additional leave options are available for individuals who remain symptomatic beyond one week," the message said. Read full here.
Coronavirus India Update: 352 healthcare workers at PGIMER, Chandigarh test Covid positive since December 20
As many as 352 healthcare workers, including 157 doctors, of PGIMER here have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since during the past over a fortnight, the premier institute said in a statement on Friday. "A total of 352 Healthcare Workers (HCWs) have tested positive since 20th December, 2021 in Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh. Of these, 157 are doctors Junior Residents, Senior Residents & Faculty Members," the statement said.
It further said that the increase in cases amongst HCWs is commensurate with increase in cases amongst the population at large. "More than 95 per cent of HCWs who tested positive had received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine. It is reassuring to note that almost all of these infections have been mild. HCWs who are staying in hostels on the institute campus and who do not have provision for home isolation, have been isolated in Nehru Hospital Extension Ward of the institute," it said.
The statement further said that at present it is difficult to be sure whether any of these cases are of 'Omicron' variant of coronavirus or not. "The PGIMER administration is keeping a close watch on the situation and is taking all steps to control the situation. All departments have been advised to strictly follow Covid appropriate behaviours and all staff have been instructed to wear appropriate masks at all times," it said.
All sport events/tournaments stand cancelled and indoor courts have been closed. Teaching activities in the institute are being conducted through online mode. The PGIMER has decided to run physical OPDs only through an appointment system from January 10 to prevent exposing patients with comorbidities to COVID-19 infection. Haryana, Punjab including Chandigarh have registered a surge in Covid cases during past few days. (PTI)
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Vaccine-sceptic French lawmaker dies after contracting COVID-19 -parliament head
French lawmaker Jose Evrard, whose vaccine-sceptic far-right party had opposed government measures to control the spread of COVID-19, has died after contracting the coronavirus, the president of the parliament said on Friday. It was unclear whether Evrard, who was 76, had refused to be vaccinated himself. He had expressed support on social media for protesters against COVID-19 curbs and health measures.
"To his wife, his children, his relatives, as well as his colleagues and collaborators, I send my heartfelt thoughts," President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand said on Twitter. Representing the Pas-de-Calais region in Northern France, Evrard was one of three lawmakers affiliated to far-right splinter party "Debout la France" (Stand up, France). Its founder Nicolas Dupont-Aignan is one of France's most prominent anti-vaccination activists. In October, Evrard co-signed a parliamentary motion demanding that a committee of inquiry be set up to look into potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. (Reuters)
Coronavirus India Updates: West Bengal government relaxes COVID-19 curbs; allows salons, parlours to operate with 50% capacity
The West Bengal government on Saturday relaxed its COVID-19 curbs in the state, allowing salons and beauty parlours to operate with 50 per cent capacity till 10 pm. An official order to this effect said the owners should ensure that the staff and customers are fully vaccinated and follow all health protocols. However, there was no clarification on when the order would be applicable. Salons and parlours should be regularly sanitised, it added.
As part of the ongoing Covid curbs, all educational institutions are closed in the state, and flight services are regulated. Gymnasiums and swimming pools are also shut. Read here.
Omicron LIVE Updates: Rapid nose swab tests for COVID may not detect Omicron quickly enough-expert says
Swabbing the nose with a rapid antigen test will not reliably detect the Omicron variant in the first few days of an infection, so manufacturers should seek U.S. approval to allow users to safely collect samples from the throat as well, according to an infectious diseases expert. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expressed concerns over the safety of self throat swabbing. People can already transmit Omicron to others when it has infected their throat and saliva but before the virus reaches their nose, so swabbing the nostrils too early in the course of infection will not pick it up, Dr Michael Mina, formerly of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and now chief science officer at eMed, said during a news conference on Thursday. A study released on Wednesday on medRxiv ahead of peer review looked at 29 Omicron-infected workers in high-risk professions who had PCR and antigen tests done simultaneously on multiple days. Read full here.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine protects children against rare COVID-19 complication - US CDC
Two doses of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are highly protective against a rare but often serious condition in children that causes organ inflammation weeks after COVID-19 infections, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said on Friday. The vaccine was estimated to be 91% effective in preventing Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in 12- to 18-year-olds, the study said. MIS-C causes inflammation in children in organs including the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain two to six weeks after a mild or asymptomatic infection. The estimate is based on the assessment of 283 hospitalized patients aged 12–18 years at 24 children's hospitals in 20 states between July and early December when the prevalence of the Delta coronavirus variant was high.
All 38 MIS-C patients requiring life support were unvaccinated, the study said. The results add to a growing body of evidence that vaccination against COVID-19 is likely to prevent disease-related complications in children, including MIS-C, the report said. It was not previously known whether the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine prevented the condition. Read here.
Coronavirus India Updates: List of new restrictions in poll-bound Uttarakhand till January 16
Political rallies, dharnas and demonstrations have been banned in poll-bound Uttarakhand till January 16 in view of the rising coronavirus cases, according to an fresh guidelines issued late Friday night that come into effect from Sunday, Chief Secretary SS Sandhu said.
- All political rallies, dharnas, demonstrations and public events like cultural gatherings etc will remain suspended in the state till January 16.
- Anaganwadi centres and schools upto class XII besides swimming pools and water parks will also remain closed during the period.
- Gyms, shopping malls, cinema halls, spas, saloons, entertainment parks, theatres and auditoriums will remain open during the period with 50 percent capacity.
- Night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am will continue during which essential and emergency services can operate with strict adherence to Covid protocol.
- Covid-appropriate behaviour such as wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing and hand sanitisation in public places is compulsory.
- For people coming to Uttarakhand from outside who are not vaccinated with two doses it will be mandatory to carry a negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours.
Read full here
Omicron LIVE Updates: South African hospital sees less serious disease, coming end of Omicron surge
At the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in the City of Tshwane, doctors compared 466 infected patients admitted since mid-November 2021 to 3,976 patients admitted before then. The mortality rate during the Omicron surge was 4.5%, compared to 21.3% in the earlier period, they reported in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Omicron patients were discharged after an average of 4 days, compared to 8.8 days for patients with earlier variants. At the peak of the Omicron surge, the number of beds filled with infected patients was half of that in the earlier period, and 63% of Omicron patients were hospitalized for other reasons, with the virus only detected by mandatory tests. Read more here.
Coronavirus LIVE Update: Citi to terminate employees unvaccinated as of January 14
Citigroup Inc on Friday told its staff that it would terminate employees who are unvaccinated as of January 14, enforcing a policy previously announced last year, according to a source familiar with the matter. Citigroup said in October it would require U.S. employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of their employment. The bank said at the time it was complying with the Biden administration policy requiring all workers supporting government contracts to be fully vaccinated, as the government remains a "large and important" client of Citi, said Sara Wechter, head of human resources, in a LinkedIn post. Read full here
Coronvirus UK Update: UK to deploy troops to virus-hit London hospitals
Britain will deploy troops to hospitals in London to alleviate severe staff shortages caused by the Omicron outbreak, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Friday. Around 200 armed forces personnel will join health workers in the capital, which has been particularly badly hit by the recent upsurge in coronavirus cases leading to mass staff absences in hospitals. "The men and women of our armed forces are once again stepping up to support their dedicated colleagues in the NHS (National Health Service) as they work hand-in-hand to protect the nation from Covid-19," said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. Read full here.
Coronavirus India LIVE Updates: Uttarakhand government imposes new restrictions on political rallies & protests, schools and anganwadis till January 16
The Uttarakhand government has imposed new restrictions prohibiting all political rallies and protests in the state till January 16. The step comes in view of rising COVID-19 cases. Besides rallies
In view of the rising #COVID19 cases, Uttarakhand govt imposes new restrictions-all political rallies and protests in the state will be prohibited till January 16. All schools and anganwadi centres will also remain closed till January 16, ANI reported.
Omicron LIVE Updates: Nomura warns India could hit 3 million daily COVID-19 cases if it follows US example: Report
Nomura has warned that India could hit as many as 3 million daily COVID-19 cases if the third-wave due to Omicron follows the same trajectory as the United States. In its January 7 note, the financial services company said India’s healthcare services could be “overwhelmed”, but added the caseload could be “smaller” around 740,000 daily, if the trajectory is similar to South Africa.Economically, it foresees macro risks with lower growth and high inflation – likely to push the RBI into hiking repo rates from April 2022 onwards, as per an Economic Times report.The note added that healthcare systems in some emerging Asian countries like India, Indonesia and the Philippines, could be overwhelmed due to the Omicron variant, as only around 45 percent of the population is vaccinated.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates: India records 141,986 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours
India has recorded 141,986 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, as per data from the Union Health Ministry on January 8. Active cases in the country now stand at 472,169. Total Omicron infections in India are at 1,203. Maharashtra has the higest number of cases with 876, followed by Delhi (513), Karnataka (333), Rajasthan (291) and Kerala (284). Gujarat (204), Telangana (123), Tamil Nadu (121), Haryana (114) and Odisha (60) make up the top 10 states affected by the Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, 40,895 people have recovered from COVID-19 over the same period, taking the total number of recoveries to 34,412,740 (3.44 crore). The recovery rate currently stands at 97.30 percent. A total of 150.06 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far in India. Total tests conducted so far number at 68.84 crore.
Omicron LIVE Updates: The Omicron effect: Love back in quarantine
Apart from the lucky couples who met pre-Covid and were looking for a date between lockdowns to plan their wedding, all singles have just about given up on meeting that special someone. Not that ishq was ever easy, but at least one could scan the weekly horoscopes for ‘an exciting meeting with a member of the opposite sex'.
Dating apps may keep pinging, but the old urgency to blow-dry your hair, wear that new dress and run to the local pub or café is gone, perhaps never to return. The gaps between suitable virus-free stretches when one can plan to meet and mingle, pine and party, are growing longer. The predestined prescient qualities ascribed to how we run into The One just like that one day out of the blue are now the stuff of fairy tales. Read more here
Coronavirus World Updates: American singer Omarion responds to Omicron jokes: ‘I’m an artist, not a variant’
American singer Omarion has been on the receiving end of jokes on social media, stemming from his name’s similarity to Omicron, a variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly across the world. Many social media users have been referring to the variant as the “Omarion variant”. The singer took to social media to respond to the jokes. "Hi, this is Omarion. I am an artist, not a variant," Omairon said in an Instagram video. Omarion jokingly told his followers not to touch him and maintain distance. See full here
Omicron LIVE Updates: It would be a mistake to brand Omicron as mild: Pulmonologist Lancelot Pinto
Dr Lancelot M. Pinto, pulmonologist at the PD Hinduja hospital in Mumbai, says as the Omicron variant spreads, it's important to remember something we learnt early on in the Covid-19 pandemic: it is possible to contract this viral infection even from asymptomatic patients. If there is no contact with symptomatic or asymptomatic patients, then one is safe, Dr Pinto adds. If contact is unavoidable or has happened unknowingly, then we need to be vigilant and self-isolate right away and get tested.
"If you don’t have the symptoms, wait for five days after the contact has occurred and then test. Quarantine until you test. If symptoms occur sooner, then test immediately. As long as asymptomatic contact follows strict quarantine, given the current magnitude, not testing might ease the load on labs and help triage the need for RT-PCRs better," says Dr Pinto. Read more here
Coronavirus LIVE Update: Doctors advise 15-18-year-olds against popping paracetamol after getting vaccinated
Doctors have advised coronavirus vaccine beneficiaries aged 15 to 18 years against taking paracetamol after getting jabbed without consulting their physicians first.
Dr Akshay Budhraja, Sr Consultant, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Aakash Healthcare, said: “Paracetamol is not recommended as prophylaxis, before and after any Covid vaccination as we don't know how it alters the immune response of vaccine. A low-grade fever, muscle ache, lethargy, headache, soreness at the injection site is common in the first two days after vaccination, which usually subsides on its own, without any medication.”
He advised that paracetamols or any other painkiller can be taken only if the fever persists or its intensity increases; however, a doctor must be consulted in such a case before taking any medicine. The advisory was issued in response to growing concerns over some vaccination centres advising teens to take three paracetamol 500 mg tablets after getting their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Read full here
Coronavirus India Updates: Delhi Weekend lockdown dos and donts:
- To combat the rising cases, Delhi will shut markets and malls over the weekend and only shops selling essential commodities will be allowed to open.
- Metro trains and buses can run with 100% of the seating capacity. Standing passengers will not be allowed. Boarding in buses will only be allowed from the rear door, while de-boarding can take place only from the front.
- Government officials who are not involved in essential services will work from home. In case of private offices, 50% employees will work remotely.
- The curfew will not affect the functioning of testing labs, oxygen suppliers and other medical services.
- There are restrictions on movement during the curfew period, except for emergencies. However, the following categories will be exempted:
- Officials involved in emergency services and officials of the Government of India. They will have to produce valid identity cards.
- Doctors, nurses, paramedics, pregnant women, patients and their attendants.
- People going to get vaccinated or tested for COVID-19, persons travelling to and from railway stations, airports and bus terminals. The travellers have to produce their tickets as proof.
- Professionals engaged in print and electronic media, students appearing for exams and staff deployed for duty for exams.
- People going to attend weddings. They will have to produce copies of invitation cards.
Coronavirus India Update: Delhi goes under weekend curfew: What's allowed, what's not
Delhi has gone into a curfew starting 10 pm on Friday to 5 am on Monday to check the sharp increase in coronavirus cases. The city on Friday reported 17,335 fresh COVID cases, the highest single-day spike since May 8 last year when the tally reached 17,364. A total of nine persons succumbed to the virus in Delhi on Friday, pushing the death toll to 25,136. The national capital last reported nine or more COVID fatalities on June 26 last year, when the same number of patients had died.
The infection rate in the city climbed to 17.73 per cent on Friday, the highest in last eight months. According to the Delhi health department, the city had reported 17.75 per cent positivity rate on May 11, 2021. The number of active COVID cases in the city jumped to 39,873 on Friday, the highest since May 20 last year when Delhi had 40,214 active cases. See all what's allowed and what's not here
Good morning and welcome to Moneycontrol's LIVE blog on the Coronavirus pandemic. Stay tuned for latest news on the Delta and Omicron variants and developmentsfrom India and around the world.
