Coronavirus Omicron Highlights | The Delhi government on December 26 announced the imposition of night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am in view of the surge in daily COVID-19 cases. The curb will come into effect from December 27, the government said. The health department reported 290 new cases today, the highest since June 10. One fatality was also recorded in the same period. The night curfew has been reimposed as the positivity rate in the capital city has surged past 0.5 percent. It was recorded as 0.55 percent as per the latest update issued by the health department. According to Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA)'s four-stage Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a 'yellow alert' will be sounded if the positivity rates remains over 0.5 percent for more than two days.
If the yellow alert comes into effect, restaurants and bars will be forced to operate at 50 percent of their total capacity, shops selling non-essential items would be allowed to remain open only till 8 pm, and cinema halls and theatres would be asked to shut down. This is in accordance to the GRAP which was approved by DDMA in July amid fears of a likely third wave.
Delhi, with 79 Omicron cases, accounts for the second-highest number of infections caused by the new coronavirus variant in the country. The nationwide tally stood at 422, as per the last update issued by the Union health ministry. Since the spread of COVID-19 infections caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant, a number of states including Karnataka, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have imposed night curfews. The government of Maharashtra has imposed Section 144 of CrPC, which bars the assembly of five or more persons, from 9 pm to 6 am.
In a communique to states and Union territories on December 21, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan asked the respective governments to remain "proactive" and consider imposing curbs in areas which witness a surge in positivity rate. "Omicron is at least three times more transmissible than Delta," the health secretary said, adding, "The decision making at the State/UT and district level must be very prompt and focused and take containment measures and restrictions even before these thresholds are reached."
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Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Denmark, Iceland report record Covid cases as Omicron surges
Denmark and Iceland on Monday reported record daily coronavirus cases as the fast-spreading Omicron variant makes Europe the global hotspot for infections and deaths.Both Nordic nations had some of Europe's lowest infection rates before Omicron's arrival.Europe recorded the most Covid-19 cases and deaths in the past seven days, according to statistics compiled by AFP and drawn from official sources.The five countries with the highest case rates over the last seven days were all European.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 3,481 kids orphaned during Covid pandemic to get benefits under PM CARES for Children scheme
Of 6,098 applications received under the 'PM CARES for Children' scheme, 3,481 children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic have been approved as eligible for its benefits, the government said on Monday. In a statement, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said as per the PM CARES for children portal, total applications registered as on December 24 is 6,098, out of which 3,481 applications have been approved by district magistrates. It also said post office accounts have been opened for 3,275 beneficiaries under the scheme.Under the scheme, a quantum of sponsorship of Rs 2,000 per child per month is available for non-institutional care of children and maintenance grant of Rs 2,160 per child per month for children living in child care institutions. The ministry also said 704 One Stop Centers' or Sakhi Centers' have been set up across 34 states/UTs. Women affected by violence and in need of assistance, medical and legal aid and counseling and psycho-social counseling are being helped and as on December 24, assistance has been provided to over 54 lakh women.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | No. of Covid cases to increase in Delhi in next two months; peak likely in Feb: Experts
With the number of fresh COVID-19 cases going up by 10 times from what it was at the beginning of the month in Delhi, experts on Monday said the number of cases will see an increase in the next couple of months due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, with the peak likely to be attained in February. Delhi reported 290 fresh Covid cases on Sunday with a positivity rate of 0.55 per cent, while the number of new cases and the positivity rate rose to 331 and 0.68 per cent respectively on Monday.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Ramp up vaccination in 5 poll bound states, says Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a high-level meeting
Union Health Secy Rajesh Bhushan held a high-level meeting with 5 poll-bound states of Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, UP & Punjab to review the public health response measures for containment & management of COVID19, & the vaccination status in these states, health ministry said.States were advised to speedily ramp up COVID19 vaccination of all eligible population for 1st dose& ensure that those who were due for the 2nd dose are administered the 2nd dose, it said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Three more test positive for Omicron in Uttarakhand, number rises to four
Three more persons tested positive for Omicron in Uttarakhand on Monday, taking the number of people infected with the latest COVID-19 variant to four in the state. One of the three cases is a 28-year-old man who had returned from Yemen and tested positive for the Omicron variant in Haridwar.The two others are a 74-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman who had come into contact with a family that had returned from Dubai and tested positive for the strain in Dehradun, Director General, Health, Tripti Bahuguna said. A 34-year-old woman who had returned from London had tested positive for Omicron on December 11.Meanwhile, night curfew was imposed across Uttarakhand on Monday in the wake of the rising cases of the new variant of coronavirus. The night curfew which comes into effect on Monday night will remain in force from 11 pm to 5 am till further orders, said an order issued by Chief Secretary S S Sandhu.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Andhra Pradesh may need 75 lakh booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine-officials
Andhra Pradesh may need 75 lakh booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine for people, including those between 15-18 age group, a high level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was informed on Monday. The Chief Minister, in the meeting with health department officials on the COVID-19 situation in the state, directed them to be prepared to tackle any eventuality in the wake of the pandemic."The officials informed the Chief Minister that preliminary estimations revealed that 75 lakh booster doses are need for people including who are between 15-18 age group," an official release said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced that India would start vaccinating children between the ages of 15 to 18 from January 3 next year while healthcare and frontline workers will be provided with "precautionary doses" from January 10.During the review meeting, the Chief Minister said private hospitals, along with government hospitals, should be prepared to tackle any situation. He instructed the officials to expedite the vaccination process by conducting a door to door drive and identify people who had not taken the jabs and administer vaccines to them.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Maharashtra reports 26 new cases of Omicron variant
26 new cases of Omicron variant have been reported from Maharashtra on Monday. The total count of Omicron cases has increased to 167 in the state.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 28 students among 31 more test COVID-19 positive in Ahmednagar school
Twenty-eight more students and three staff members of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the number of such cases at the institute to 82 in the last one week, a health department official said.According to the official, a majority of the infected students are "asymptomatic" and currently admitted to hospital, where their health condition is stable."We had sent repeat swab samples of some students, who had earlier tested negative, for analysis as they showed some symptoms (of coronavirus). Last night, the samples of 19 students returned positive and today 12 more samples tested positive (three of them of staff members and bringing total new cases to 31)," said Dr Prakash Lalge, health officer of Parner tehsil in the adjoining district.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Haryana reports two more Omicron cases; tally mounts to 12
Haryana reported two more cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on Monday, pushing the tally of such cases to 12 in the state, according to the health department's daily bulletin.In view of the emergence of the Omicron cases, the Haryana government has already imposed a night curfew and restrictions on gatherings from Saturday.It has also said people eligible for vaccination but not fully vaccinated will be banned from entering shopping malls, cinema halls, restaurants and grain markets, among other crowded places, from January 1.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Haryana reports two more Omicron cases; state's tally mounts to 12
Haryanareported two more cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus on Monday, pushing the tally of such cases to 12 in the state, according to the health department's daily bulletin.In view of the emergence of the Omicron cases, theHaryanagovernment has already imposed a night curfew and restrictions on gatherings from Saturday.It has also said people eligible for vaccination but not fully vaccinated will be banned from entering shopping malls, cinema halls, restaurants and grain markets, among other crowded places, from January 1.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Kerala govt imposes night curfew from December 30-January 2
In view of the risingOmicroncases, Kerala govt imposes night curfew (10 pm to 5 am) from December 30 till January 2.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Rise in Covid-19 cases: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel makes surprise visit to hospital
Amid the increasing COVID-19 cases in Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel paid a surprise visit to the Gandhinagar civil hospital on Monday morning and inquired about the facilities there and treatment provided to patients. The state has so far reported 49 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, and the daily COVID-19 cases are also increasing in the state since the last week. "Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited Gandhinagar civil hospital this morning. During the surprise visit he interacted with indoor patients, hospital staff and inquired about treatment, cleanliness and availability of medicines," a note from the CM's office said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Mumbai reports 809 new COVID-19 cases, 335 recoveries and 3 deaths
Mumbai reported 809 new Covid-19 cases and 3 deaths today. The city also reported 335 recoveries.With this, the active Covid-19 cases in the city has risen to 4,765.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Union Health Ministry issues guidelines for COVID19 vaccination of children between 15-18 years
Union Health Ministryissues guidelines for COVID19 vaccination of children between 15-18 years, precaution dose to health care & frontline workers, and 60+ population with comorbidities.For those HCWs&FLWs who have received two doses, another dose of COVID-19 vaccine would be provided from 10th Jan. The prioritization & sequencing of this precaution dose would be based on the completion of 9 months from the date of administration of 2nd dose reads the guidelines.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Maharashtra cabinet pushes for increase in vaccination pace as COVID-19 cases rise
The Maharashtra cabinet on Monday expressed concern over the rising COVID-19 cases in the state and stressed on the need to expedite the pace of vaccination and effective steps to curb the spread of coronavirus, whose new variant Omicron is causing fresh worries. The number of active cases has increased by nearly 50 per cent in the last 20 days, the cabinet was told at its meeting here.As on December 26, the state had 9,813 active cases of the infectious disease.Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who virtually joined the meeting held in Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai, asked for a meeting of state COVID-19 task force in a day or two to review the prevailing coronavirus situation.A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said Thackeray suggested strict vigilance and effective steps to curb the spread of the virus.The statement said the cabinet expressed concern over the rise in COVID-19 cases in the last few days.Health secretary Pradeep Vyas made a presentation before the cabinet in which he said a further rise in the number of active cases is expected in January, according to the statement.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | No Need for Statewide Night Curfew Now: Odisha Health Official
TheOdishagovernment on Monday said there is no need to impose restrictions such as night curfew and lockdown across the state as of now amid concerns over the detection of eight cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the coastal state. Night curfew is in force in all urban areas of the state from 10 pm to 5 am. State’s Public Health DirectorNiranjanMishratold journalists here, Currently, the situation is not conducive for imposing the curbs. Lockdown or night curfew is clamped after considering factors such as the number of daily cases, test positivity rate, total active cases, andhospitalisationrate.Odishahas already banned public celebrations to ring in the New Year.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 1 new COVID-19 case in Sikkim, tally rises to 32,481
Sikkim’s COVID-19 tally rose to 32,481 on Monday as one more person tested positive for the infection, a health bulletin said.The Himalayan state’s coronavirus death toll of 409 remained unchanged as no fresh fatality was registered, it said, adding that the new case was recorded in East Sikkim district.Sikkim now has 55 active cases, while 31,675 people have recovered from the infection, and 342 patients have migrated to other states so far.The recovery rate among the coronavirus patients in the state stood at 99 per cent.The state has tested 2,78,758 samples for COVID-19 so far, it added.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Traders in Delhi fear closure of shops, business establishments amid rise in number of Covid cases
Withthe COVID-19 positivity rate going beyond 0.5 per cent inDelhion Sunday and a steady rise in thenumber ofOmicroncases, the traders of the city are worried as they fear that their establishments may be shut under a ''yellow'' alert, if announced by the government in the coming days. The business fraternity of the national capital is in a state of panic as it urged theDelhigovernment on Monday to consider two other indicators as well -- the number of fresh coronavirus cases and that of the oxygen beds occupied -- before announcing a ''yellow'' alert.Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) prepared by theDelhiDisaster Management Authority (DDMA) in July, a ''yellow'' (level-1) alert will be sounded if when theCovidpositivity rate crosses 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days or the number of fresh cases goes up to 1,500 for seven days or the oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 500 for seven days.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Tanzania returnee first Omicron patient in Manipur
A 48-year-old returnee from Tanzania on Monday tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Manipur, making him the first patient of the strain in the northeastern state, the Directorate of Health Services said. The resident of Imphal West district recently returned from the African country via Delhi, it said.The man tested positive for COVID-19 on the eighth day of his return to India, and his sample, which was sent to the Institute ofBioresourcesand Sustainable Development in Imphal for whole-genome sequencing, was found to be infected with the Omicron strain, the directorate said. The patient has been placed under isolation at state-runJawaharlalNehru Institute of Medical Sciences here, and he has not exhibited any severe symptoms, it said, adding that his temperature, respiratory and pulse rates are being constantly monitored.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Ladakh reports 8 new cases, 17 cured
Ladakhhas reported 8 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 22,091, out of which 20,664 people have recuperated from the diseases, while the active cases in the union territory has gone down to 209, officials said. The union territory has recorded 218Covid-relateddeaths -- 160 inLehand 58 inKargil-- since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, they said.Seveteenpatients were cured and discharged from hospitals acrossLadakh. A total of 830 sample reports inLadakhwere found negative, they said, with this, the total number of COVID-19 active cases inLadakhhas gone down to 209, including 144 inLehand 65 inKargildistrict.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Delhi reports 331 positive cases, one death, and 144 recoveries in the last 24 hours
Delhi reports 331 positive cases, one death, and 144 recoveries in the last 24 hours. Active cases 1,289.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine behind lower Covid deaths in UK, says expert
Britain's early deployment of the Oxford/AstraZenecavaccine to protect against COVID-19 may be responsible for the country's lower death rates compared to other European countries, a UK vaccines expert has said.Dr Clive Dix, former chairman of the UK's Vaccine Task Force, told the Daily Telegraph' that the Oxford/AstraZenecavaccine manufactured and administered in India asCovidshieldmay offer stronger long-term protection against severe COVID-19 and death.If you look across Europe, with the rise in cases, there's also a corresponding lagged rise in deaths, but not in the UK, and we have to understand that, said Dr Dix."I personally believe that's because most of our vulnerable people were given theAstraZenecavaccine," he said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 35 people test positive in last 2 days during Winter Session of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly: Vidhan Sabha
35 people including police personnel and government employees test positive for COVID19 during the RT-PCR testing of 2,300 people conducted in the last 2 days during the Winter Session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | France weighs new Covid restrictions in Omicron fight
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce newCovidmeasures on Monday as the country braces for a new surge in cases due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. Officials have warned that hospitals again risk being overwhelmed after a record 100,000 cases were reported Saturday, the highest daily level in France since the pandemic began nearly two years ago.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | China's Xi'an imposes 'strictest' controls to halt Covid outbreak
The locked-down Chinese city ofXi'anon Monday tightened Covid-19 controls to the "strictest" level, banning residents from driving cars around town in an effort to control the country's worst outbreak in 21 months.China has stuck to a "zero-Covid" strategy of tight border restrictions, lengthy quarantines and targetedlockdownsas Beijing prepares to welcome thousands of overseas visitors for February's Winter Olympics.But historicXi'an-- where 13 million residents are facing their fifth day of home confinement -- is at thecentreof a flare-up that has pushed nationwide daily infections to their highest numbers since March last year. (AFP)
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Three Omicron cases reported in Rajasthan
Two cases were reportedin Jaipur and one inUdaipur. Till now, a total of 46 Omicron cases have been found in the State. Of these 37 patients have recovered.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Decide if our priority is poll rallies or curbing COVID-19: Varun Gandhi
BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Monday cited a Centre's note to criticise the decision of several states, including Uttar Pradesh, to impose night curfew to curb Covid, and said it should be decided if our priority is to contain the disease or to indulge in a show of strength during elections. Policymakers should lead from the front so as inspire the common public to stay at home, he said.
Criticising the night curfew decision, he said, "Imposing curfew in night after assembling lakhs of people for rallies in the day defies the common man's wisdom". Keeping in mind Uttar Pradesh's limited health infrastructure, it has to be decided honestly if our priority is to contain the dangerous Omicron variant of coronavirus or to indulge in a show of power during polls, he said.
Gandhi noted that maximum transmission typically happens during the day, as there are lesser people on the road during the night, and called for strongly cutting down on social gatherings which could emerge as Covid clusters. He cited a Centre's note to the Maharashtra government in March 2021 which, he highlighted, had said that measures such as night curfews, weekend lockdowns have very limited impact on containing or suppressing the transmission. "Hence the administration should focus on strict and effective containment strategy," it had said. Gandhi called for a holistic strategy.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Goa reports 1st Omicron case; minor traveller from UK found infected
An eight-year-old boy, who arrived in Goa from the United Kingdom, has been found infected with Omicron, making it the first case of the new coronavirus variant in the coastal state. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told PTI on Monday that the boy, who travelled from the UK on December 17, 2021, was confirmed to be infected with Omicron, as per his test report received from the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
Rane said the state government will take steps according to the central government's protocol and also adopt stringent measures as required. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has already asked the tourism stakeholders to stay alert and ensure there is no spread of COVID-19 during festivities, in the wake of the upcoming New Year celebrations. On Sunday, Goa reported 25 new cases of coronavirus, taking the state's infection count to 1,80,050, while the death toll remained constant at 3,519, as per official data.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Restaurants in Mumbai can function beyond 9 pm on New Year eve, says BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal
Mumbai civic body Commissioner Iqbal SinghChahalon December 27 said that in spite of the COVID-19 restrictions and night curfew, restaurants in Mumbai can remain open past 9pm on December 31."Curfew does not mean we are shutting everything down at 9pm. We have only restricted New Year parties,"Chahaltold CNBC TV-18. Restaurants do not have to shut down at 9pm, he reaffirmed.
The BMC chief urged people to exercise utmost precaution amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of Corona virus. Maharashtra is among the states with the highest cases of infection by the latest strain of highly mutated virus.The state has reported 141 cases of Omicron variant, as per the latest update from the Union health ministry.The Maharashtra government on December 24 imposed fresh curbs, including a 9pm-to-6am night curfew.
According to the order, gathering of more than five people in public places is prohibited during the curfew hours. Restaurants, gyms, spas, and cinemas halls will have to operate at 50 percent capacity, it said.The state has also ordered that the number of attendees should not be more than 100 for social, political and religious events in indoor spaces. For open spaces, the number of attendees should be less than 250 or 25 percent of the capacity of the space, whichever is less.
Maharashtra registered 1,648 new cases on December 26, which pushed the overall tally to 66,57,888, while the death of 17 patients took the toll to 1,41,433, the health department said.Mumbai city reported 896 cases and two deaths, pushing its caseload to 7,70,910 and toll to 16,370.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Rise in COVID-19 cases: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel makes surprise visit to hospital
Amid the increasing COVID-19 cases in Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel paid a surprise visit to the Gandhinagar civil hospital on Monday morning and inquired about the facilities there and treatment provided to patients. The state has so far reported 49 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, and the daily COVID-19 cases are also increasing in the state since the last week.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel visited Gandhinagar civil hospital this morning. During the surprise visit he interacted with indoor patients, hospital staff and inquired about treatment, cleanliness and availability of medicines, a note from the CM's office said. Last week, the Gujarat government extended the timings of night curfew by two hours - from 11 pm to 5 am, instead of the earlier time of 1 am to 5 pm - to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Till now, the state has reported 49 Omicron cases. Most of these infected persons had returned after travelling abroad. Gujarat was reporting less than 50 cases daily till the second week of December. However, the state reported 177 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and 179 on Saturday, as per official figures.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal calls meet today with Health and Ward officers on surging Covid-19 and Omicron cases
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Chahal has called a meetingtoday with Health and Ward officers on the rising number of Covid-19 and Omicron cases
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | MHA issues fresh advisory for COVID-19 management, asks states, UTs not to let guard down
Amidst initial signs of surge in cases of COVID-19 as well as increased detection of Omicron variant in different parts of the country, the Centre on Monday issued a fresh advisory to all States and UTs to deal with the pandemic situation. In the advisory, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said States and Union Territories may consider imposing need based, local curbs and restrictions, to control the crowd during the festive season.
Asking States and UTs not to let the guard down, he emphasised that there should be continued focus on the five-fold strategy — Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour to avoid the possibility of surge in COVID-19 cases, especially keeping in view the new Variant of Concern (VOC). He asked the States and UTs to refer to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order issued for ensuring implementation of the measures as conveyed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on December 21.
"The country has witnessed an overall decline in active cases. However, the new variant, Omicron is reported to be at least three times more transmissible than the Delta VOC, and is posing a new challenge for the Covid containment measures," the communication said. In the countries with Omicron-driven surge, the home secretary said, the growth trajectory of cases has been very steep and in our country, 578 Omicron cases have already been reported in 19 States and UTs so far.
He said globally, Omicron cases have already been reported in 116 countries. Further, surge in cases is also being reported across various countries, especially in the US, the UK, Europe (France, Italy, Spain), Russia, South Africa, Vietnam, Australia, etc. In the MoHFW advisory of December 21, Bhalla said a normative framework has been provided and with distinct presence of the Delta variant and detection of Omicron cases in many States, there is need for greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making, and strict and prompt containment actions at the local and district levels, based on the assessment of the situation.
The home secretary said on December 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the status of COVID-19, Omicron VOC and preparedness of health systems across the country. After review, the prime minister has directed that everyone should maintain a high level of vigil and alertness. After review, the prime minister has directed that everyone should maintain a high level of vigil and alertness. The state governments should ensure that the health systems in the States are strengthened to meet any challenge posed by the new variant, Bhalla said.
State governments and UT administrations should ensure that oxygen supply equipment are installed and are fully functional and the buffer stock of essential drugs maintained, he said. "I would like to reiterate that all the States and UTs must observe all precautions, and not let the guard down. Local and district administration, based on the normative framework and assessment of the situation, should promptly take appropriate containment measures. States may consider imposing need based, local curbs and restrictions, to control the crowd during the festive season," he said.
Bhalla said the State enforcement machinery should strictly enforce the norms of Covid appropriate behaviour. Bhalla said the State enforcement machinery should strictly enforce the norms of Covid appropriate behaviour. With a view to discourage any misinformation in respect of the new VOC, which creates anxiety among the public, all States and UTs should proactively and regularly hold media briefings at the highest level to disseminate the right information to them,” he said.
The home secretary said States and UTs should also educate them about various preventive measures undertaken by them and also advise them to strictly follow Covid appropriate behaviour. "I would, therefore, urge you to issue necessary directions to the districts and all other local authorities concerned, to take necessary measures for prompt and effective management of COVID-19, strict compliance with various advisories issued by the MoHFW on the new VOC and strict enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour," he said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | PM Modi says Himachal Pradesh will lead in achieving vaccination coverage as COVID-19 vaccination for 15-18-year-olds from January 3, 2022 announced
Our government has announced COVID-19 vaccination for 15-18-year-olds from January 3, 2022, and 'precaution dose' for healthcare workers and senior citizens with comorbidities from January 10. I am confident that Himachal Pradesh will lead in achieving vaccination coverage, saysPM Modi
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates
| Himachal Pradesh is one of the most important pharma hubs in the country. During COVID19, the State has not only helped other States but also many countries: PM Modi during a public meeting in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 13 students of Pune college test positive for coronavirus
At least 13 students of an engineering college in Pune city of Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus, an official from the institution said on Monday. All these students, currently in the third year of the engineering course, are "largely asymptomatic" and isolated at home, said Prashant Dave, registrar of the MIT World Peace University, to which the institution is affiliated.
"As we follow strict measures, we screen our students at the main gate (of the institution). During the screening, one student was found to be having runny nose and he was immediately sent back and his parents were asked to get his RT-PCR test done," the official said. After the student's test report came out positive for the coronavirus, his close contacts were traced, he said.
"A group of 25 students, including the index case (the first student who tested positive), was part of a team which was preparing for a national level competition and working together on an all-terrain vehicle at the college workshop. So, all the close contacts were traced, isolated and subjected to the RT-PCR tests. So far, 13 students have tested positive, eight are negative and results of four students are awaited," the official said. All the infected students are in home isolation and they are largely asymptomatic, he said.
"We are keeping a close watch on their health and are constantly in touch with the families," the official said. All the 25 students who underwent the tests were fully vaccinated, he said. As a precautionary measure, the offline classes of this particular batch have been shifted to the online mode, he added.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | ECI and Union Health Ministry discusses surge in Omicron cases in states going for Assembly elections next year
ECI and Union Health Ministry discussed the rising number of COVID19 (Omicron) cases across India and vaccine coverage, especially in States going for Assembly elections next year. ECI and Health Ministry will hold another meeting in January 2022.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates
| The process will be exactly the same. If you are above 60 years of age and have taken both doses and the gap between the second dose and the day you are registering is more than 9 months (39 weeks) then you are eligible. When you will register, it will ask whether you have any comorbidities or not. If you say yes, you will be able to book and have to show the comorbidities certificate from registered doctor at the vaccination centre and then you can get jabs: Dr RS Sharma, CoWIN platform Chief
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | National Directives for COVID-19 management to continue to be strictly followed throughout the country till January 31, 2022, MHA tells to States/UTs
National Directives for COVID-19 management to continue to be strictly followed throughout the country till 31st January 2022, Ministry of Home Affairs tells to States/UTs. MHA has issued orders to all Chief Secretaries in the states and UTs stressing "the need for greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making, and strict and prompt containment actions at the local and district levels," in view of current Covid situation.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal says that restaurants in Mumbai can stay open after 9 pm on December 31
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | School ID cards of children will be accepted for vaccination: RS Sharma
CoWIN, India's COVID-19 vaccine delivery tech platform, will accept the school IDs of children eligible for vaccination starting January 3, 2022, top executive RS Sharma said, adding that the system will be able to configure changes easily if the government decides to mix vaccines for a proposed booster dose.
"Anybody who is born in 2007 or before will be able to get vaccines. Children aged between 15-18 do not have voter ID cards and many of them may not have Aadhaar too, so we are now allowing school certificates and ID cards. There are currently 9 eligible documents to register on CoWIN, we will add school ID cards to this," Sharma said in an interview.
RS Sharma is the CEO of the National Authority and chairperson of the empowered committee for CoWIN. He is also the former chief of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the semi-government body tasked with rolling out the national identity project, Aadhaar.
CoWIN's move to add school ID cards as an identity document comes days after Prime Minister Modi unveiled significant additions to India's vaccination plan amidst the Omicron variant scare. PM Modi said that healthcare, frontline workers and senior citizens aged above 60 with comorbidities will be eligible to receive a third precautionary dose of vaccine from January 10th, 2022. He also said children aged 15-18 will be eligible to receive a jab starting January 3, 2022.
By some estimates, there are 3 crore healthcare workers, three crore frontline workers, and six-seven crore children who will be eligible in this leg of India's vaccination drive. The gap between the second and the third dose will be at least nine months.
"A medical certificate for senior citizens with comorbidities will be required. The new vaccination certificate after the third dose will be generated real time with a QR code, and will be verifiable. This will have details of all three doses of vaccination and the brands used. We will also be sending out SMS-es to healthcare, frontline workers and senior citizens who will be eligible for vaccination. We will have no challenges related to supply of vaccines", Sharma said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | 2 new COVID-19 cases in Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands logged two new COVID-19 cases, one more than the previous day, pushing the tally in the union territory to 7,714, a health department official said on Monday. Two more persons recovered from COVID-19, taking the total number of recovered persons to 7,576 people, the official said.
The COVID-19 death toll in the archipelago remained at 129 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, he said. The union territory now has nine active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district. The other two districts - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are coronavirus free, the official said. The administration has so far tested 6,60,536 samples for COVID-19 and the cumulative test positivity rate is 1.17 per cent.
A total of 5,89,563 beneficiaries have been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, of which 2,99,145 have received the first dose and 2,90,418 both doses of the vaccine, the official added.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai says we are preparing to inoculate 15-18-year-olds from January 3
We are preparing to inoculate 15-18-year-olds from January 3 by organising vaccination drives at schools. PHCs asked to be prepared for administering 'precautionary dose' to those above 60 years of age with co-morbidities from January 10, 2022, says Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Singapore and India further cement bilateral relations despite challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic
India and Singapore further consolidated their strategic relations in 2021 despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, with high-level bilateral visits and meetings leading to increased collaboration in defence, information technology and cybersecurity that are likely to shape the future of both the countries. Though the pandemic crippled the global business environment, the city-state has been one of the largest sources of foreign investment in India in 2020-2021.
India received USD 81.72 billion as Foreign Direct Investment from Singapore in 2020-21, up 10 per cent from the previous financial year. "Our bilateral trade with Singapore has recovered from the disruptions of the past year, and is on track to touch new heights," the Acting Indian High Commissioner, Siddhartha Nath, told PTI as one of the most challenging years came to a close.
India-Singapore relations are based on shared values and approaches, economic opportunities and convergence of interests on key issues. Political engagement is regular. Defence relations are particularly strong. Economic and technological ties are extensive and growing. Cultural and human links are very vibrant. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit in November 2021 provided an opportunity for high-level discussions with Singapore on the range of bilateral and other issues of mutual interest.
During his three-day visit, Jaishankar called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and met top ministers, holding bilaterals and discussing the global environment hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. ''The successful conclusion of our discussions on progressive restoration of bilateral air links, including the commencement of Vaccinated Travel Lane flights, was a matter of satisfaction, in view of the significance of people-to-people ties between our two countries,'' Nath said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Mizoram logs 72 new COVID-19 cases, single-day positivity rate 10.45%
Mizoram on Monday reported 72 new COVID-19 cases with a single-day positivity rate of 10.45 per cent, an official statement said. The new cases pushed the COVID-19 tally to 1,40,564. The COVID-19 death toll rose to 539 as three more persons succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, the statement issued by the Information and Public Relations Department said. Twenty children were among the newly infected people. The 72 cases were detected out of 689 samples tested.
Aizawl district reported 42 cases followed by Mamit (17), Saitual (7), Serchhip (5) and Kolasib district (1), the statement said. Mizoram currently has 1,399 active COVID-19 cases while 1,38,626 people have recovered from the disease, including 179 people on Sunday, it said. The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 98.62 per cent and the death rate is 0.38 per cent. The state has so far tested more than 14.97 lakh samples for COVID-19. Over 7.29 lakh people have been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine and 5.87 lakh of them have received both doses of the vaccine, state immunisation officer Dr Lalzawmi said.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | States/UTs where Omicron cases have been identified
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Tamil Nadu CM Stalin reviewed Omicron situation; Central health team is visiting the state today
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin has reviewed the Omicron situation in the state. Of total 34 Omicron patients so far, 16 are under treatment & 18 have been discharged. A Central health team is visiting the state today. Vaccination for 15-18 yr olds to start from January 3, 2022, says State Health Minister. J Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary said in Chennai, we are now doing 20,000 tests instead of 10,000. We're following the containment guidelines and are telling the passengers coming from non-high-risk countries to be in-home quarantine.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Arunachal Pradesh reports single COVID-19 case
Arunachal Pradesh recorded one new COVID-19 case on Monday, pushing the tally to 55,332, a senior health department official said here. The frontier state now has 16 active COVID-19 cases. As many as 55,036 people have recuperated from the disease so far, the official said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 280 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
The coronavirus recovery rate in the state now is 99.46 per cent, while the activity ratio is 0.03 per cent. The Capital Complex comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at nine, followed by Namsai district (3), West Kameng (2), Tawang and Lohit with one case each.
The state had reported one new COVID-19 case on Sunday. As many as 12,04,156 samples have been tested for COVID-19 so far in the state, including 97 on Sunday, Jampa said, adding that the positivity ratio stood at 1.03 per cent. State Immunisation Officer Dr Dimong Padung said that a total of 14,55,623 people have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine so far in the state.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | Indian scientists are studying the Omicron variant: PM Modi
Indian scientists are studying the Omicron variant of coronavirus and suggesting measures to contain it with the help of new data every day, but self-awareness and self-discipline will be India’s strength in the fight against it," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday during his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast. As the cases of Omicron rise, Modi said that though India has achieved an “unprecedented feat" in its covid-19 vaccination drive, it is important for people to be vigilant. “It is this very collective strength of ours that will defeat coronavirus; with this very sense of responsibility, we have to enter into 2022."
On Saturday, Modi had said that starting 3 January, vaccination will start for children in the age group of 15-18 years. The move is likely to aid in normalizing in-school classes, and parents will be less worried about school-going children. Modi also announced a precaution dose for health care and frontline workers from 10 January.
“This step was taken in view of the amount of time frontline and health care workers spend in the service of covid patients. In India, this has been called the ‘precaution dose’, not a booster dose. The decision of precaution dose will strengthen the confidence of health care and frontline workers," Modi said. The PM said senior citizens or those above 60 years with co-morbidities would also have the option to take the precaution dose on the advice of their doctors from 10 January.
Referring to Omicron infections In India, Modi urged the people not to panic but follow precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands. “The seriousness of vaccine was identified very early, and along with research, we also focussed on the approval process, supply chain, distribution, training, IT support system and certification," he said. Due to the efforts, 61% of the adult population of the country has received both the vaccines and 90% adults have received one dose," he said in his address to the nation. In his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, the prime minister also spoke about Group Captain Varun Singh, who succumbed to his injuries last week.
Coronavirus Omicron LIVE Updates | UP to administer COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 15-18 years from January 3
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday has announced to vaccinate the children of the age group of 15 to 18 years on January 3, 2022. Similarly, from January 10, 2022, all corona warriors, healthcare and frontline workers and citizens with co-morbidities above 60 years of age will be given a precautionary dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on the advice of their doctor, while addressing the officials at a COVID-19 review meeting.
A massive awareness campaign should be conducted for the immunization of adolescents, he added. Emphasising precaution in view of the rise in cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced three major decisions in the fight against the disease including the start of vaccination for children in 15-18 age group from coming January 3. "The government has decided that precautionary doses of vaccine will be started for healthcare and frontline workers starting January 10, 2022. Citizens above 60 years facing co-morbidities, will have the option of taking precaution dose on the advice of their doctor," he added.
