The state reported 34,199 new cases on Wednesday when 91,983 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. The active caseload rose to 1.68 lakhs. (File)
Coronavirus Omicron India Highlights: The third wave of the pandemic in its outset itself continued to sweep Kerala with the test positivity rate going up to 37.17 per cent on Wednesday. Kerala recorded 34,199 new Covid-19 cases and 49 deaths in the last 24 hours on Wednesday. The state also reported 8,193 recoveries taking the total active tally of Covid cases in the state to 1,68,383. The current death toll of the state is 51,160. Kerala health department data showed that the growth rate in newly declared cases increased by 211 per cent during the last week starting January 12.
Health minister Veena George said the state is witnessing the extreme spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. “In sharp contrast to the first and second waves, in which the state had delayed the peak of the pandemic, cases are spiking alarmingly in the initial stage of the third wave itself. Next three weeks would be critical for Kerala,” she said.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said that while the daily positivity rate of the city’s Covid cases had seen a dip, it was not low enough for the Delhi government to lift the curbs imposed to contain the spread of the virus. He further added that government will monitor the situation for a few days. Jain added that Delhi would see around 13,000 cases on Wednesday, with a positivity rate of about 24 per cent. “The Covid positivity rate has come down from 30 per cent to 22.5 per cent in Delhi. But it is not that low that all the curbs can be lifted suddenly,” said Jain.
With 50 per cent of the eligible teenagers vaccinated with the first dose, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tweeted, “Young and youthful India showing the way! This is encouraging news. Let us keep the momentum.” On Tuesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had said, “Big day for India’s fight against Covid-19! Over 50% of our youngsters between 15-18 age group have received their 1st dose of Covid-19 vaccine…Your enthusiasm for vaccination is inspiring people all over India.”
Meanwhile, India recorded 2,82,970 new Covid-19 cases and 441 related deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Wednesday, data updated by the Union Ministry of Health showed. The active caseload has increased to 18,31,000, up from yesterday’s 17.3 lakh. The daily positivity rate has also increased to 15.13 per cent. The Omicron tally has reached 8,961 — an increase of 0.79 per cent since yesterday, the Ministry said.
A health worker administers a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine to a beneficiary, in Chennai. (PTI)
Delhi reported 13,785 new Covid-19 cases and 35 deaths in the last 24 hours on Wednesday. With 16,580 people recovering from the virus, the active number of Covid cases in the city stood at 75,282. The city’s positivity rate on Wednesday was 23.86 per cent.
Mumbai on Wednesday reported 6,032 new cases, a marginal decrease from Tuesday’s number — 6,149. The number of deaths however rose to 12 in the past 24 hours from seven the day before. As many as 18,241 people recovered from the virus.
Karnataka reported 40,499 fresh Covid cases, out of which 24,135 were from Bangalore, on Wednesday. The state's positivity rate on Wednesday was 18.80 per cent. With 23,209 discharges, the active cases in the state as of Wednesday evening were 2,67,650, out of which 1,84,000 are in Bangalore. The number of Covid-related deaths in the state on Wednesday was 21 and five were in Bangalore.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that there has been a gradual decline in Covid-19 cases in areas under its administration.
The BMC counsel, while referring to the situation prevailing in Mumbai and adjoining regions, said that the “situation is under control” and “there is no reason to panic”.
The civic body made the submissions before a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Makarand S Karnik, which has been hearing PILs by city-based lawyer Sneha Marjadi and others, alleging improper management of Covid-19 treatment in Maharashtra.
The HC on January 10 had said that the BMC should not leave any stone unturned to ensure that the health of the people is not compromised due to the spread of the Omicron variant and that measures on vaccination, bed management, ambulance management and oxygen supply are duly implemented.
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Kerala recorded 34,199 new Covid-19 cases and 49 deaths in the last 24 hours on Wednesday. The state also reported 8,193 recoveries taking the total active tally of Covid cases in the state to 1,68,383. The current death toll of the state is 51,160.
Andhra Pradesh reports 10,057 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The active cases in the state stand at 44,935.
As much as 30 per cent individuals lose vaccine-acquired immunity after six months, according to a study conducted by AIG Hospitals along with the Asian Healthcare Foundation on Vaccine Immunity.
The study was conducted on 1,636 healthcare workers who were fully vaccinated against Covid-19, a press release from AIG Hospitals said.
"Our study results were at par with other global studies where we found that almost 30 per cent of individuals had antibody levels below protective immunity level of 100 AU/ml after six months. These individuals were majorly above 40 years with co-morbidities like hypertension and diabetes. Out of the total, 6 per cent did not develop any immune protection at all," Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman, AIG Hospitals said.
The results clearly indicated that with age, immunity waning is directly proportional which means that younger people have more sustained antibody levels than the elderly population. (PTI)
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said the Covid-19 positivity rate in the city is not low enough to lift the restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the infection and that the government will monitor the situation for three to four days.
He also said the city is likely to see around 13,000 cases on Wednesday, with a positivity rate of around 24 per cent.
"The Covid positivity rate has come down from 30 per cent to 22.5 per cent in Delhi. But it is not that low that all the curbs can be lifted suddenly... The rate should be half of it. We will monitor the situation for three to four days," Jain said when asked about some traders' protest over DDMA's odd-even arrangement for the opening of shops. (PTI)
Singer Lata Mangeshkar, who was admitted to ICU after testing positive for Covid-19 in Mumbai, is now stable, said her spokesperson on Wednesday, according to PTI.
"Lata Di is stable. Will come home after the doctors give the nod," said Mangeshkar's spokesperson Anusha Srinivsan Iyer in a statement.
Mangeshkar, 92, was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai with mild symptoms on January 9.
The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India may peak on January 23 with daily cases likely to remain below the four lakh mark, according to a scientist at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur.
Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have already reached their peak in case of numbers in the past seven days, said Manindra Agrawal, a professor at IIT Kanpur and one of the researchers associated with the Sutra Covid model. The Sutra model has been used to track and predict Covid case numbers in the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
According to Agrawal, Covid-19 cases will peak in Maharashtra, Karnataka, UP, Gujarat, and Haryana this week, while states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Tamil Nadu may peak next week.
"The daily peak cases are projected to peak on January 23 in India and stay below the four lakh mark. Metro cities Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata have already peaked," Agrawal said. (PTI)
Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday tested positive for Covid-19.
The 94-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch has been admitted to Dayanand Medical College & Hospital (DMCH ) here. DMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Sandeep Sharma said Badal tested positive for coronavirus.
"He is stable," Sharma added. (PTI)
Andhra Pradesh government revised the rate for RT-PCR testing that can be charged by private laboratories. The government fixed the rate at Rs 350 for testing in the state.
Puducherry reported 1,849 fresh Covid-19 cases and 3 deaths in the last 24 hours on Wednesday. Puducherry also reported 895 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
India reported new coronavirus infections at an eight-month high on Wednesday and a government scientist warned it will take weeks before data on hospitalisations and deaths will show how severe the latest wave driven by the Omicron variant will be.
The federal authorities have said Omicron was causing fewer hospitalisations and deaths than the Delta variant, which killed hundreds of thousands last year.
But Tarun Bhatnagar from the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology in Chennai said the impact of the current run-up in infections will show up with a lag.
"We have to worry about hospitalisation and deaths and that will come later," he told Reuters in a phone interview. "There will always be a lag of two-three weeks." (Reuters)
After a gap of two years, Indian mangoes would cross the seas again and head to the United States of America.
The Covid-19 pandemic had brought to a halt the export of mangoes to the USA, which had been emerging as a preferred destination. As per the norms, the fruit has to be irradiated before it is shipped out of the country. A phytosanitary inspector from the destination country oversees the process. However, the inspector has not been able to travel in the last two years, due to the pandemic and subsequent suspension of flights. Last year, the US government had sought on-site inspection, but Indian exporters did not agree to this given the risk involved.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Sunil Pawar, Managing Director of the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board (MSAMB) said, “This year the phytosanitary inspector would be present for the inspection”. Besides, Indian mangoes had figured in the bilateral trade deals signed with the USA. Read more
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Wednesday shared a cheeky meme modelled on superstar Allu Arjun's blockbuster "Pushpa: The Rise" to encourage usage of masks against Covid-19.
The popular dialogue of the film, "Pushpa, Pushpa Raj... Main jhukega nahi (I am Pushpa, Pushpa Raj... I won't back down)" was changed to, "Delta ho ya Omicron, main mask utaarega nahi (Whether it is the Delta variant or Omicron, I won't remove the mask".
A decision on relaxing Covid-19 curbs would be taken after a meeting with the experts on Friday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told the media on Wednesday.
"The number of hospitalisations is less in the current wave of Covid. So there is an opinion that it would be better to carry on daily life by following the Covid guidelines and the experts are examining it. They will present a comprehensive picture at the meeting on Friday. A suitable decision will be taken after getting clarity about the issue," said Bommai who also declared that he had recovered from Covid-19.
A 45-year-old nursing officer at the government taluk hospital of Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, who had tested positive for Covid-19 Monday, was found dead at her home Tuesday.
P S Saritha had been on duty at the Covid care centre for four days from January 8. Monday, she tested positive for Covid-19 and opted for home isolation as there were no major symptoms necessitating hospitalization. Read more
"The positivity rate has come down from 30 per cent to 22.5 per cent and the total number of cases in Delhi has also decreased. However, the positivity rate is not low enough that we can relax the Covid-19 restrictions," Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain was quoted as saying by ANI on Wednesday.
The Minister added while hospitalisations in the national capital are low and several beds remain vacant, the government is conducting more tests.
Jain also said that a positivity rate of 24 per cent and 13,000 Covid cases are expected today (Wednesday) in the city.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Opposition leader and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday demanded that the government-run liquor shops be shut till the Covid-19 situation in the state comes under control.
In a series of tweets, Palaniswami said, 'When AIADMK was in power in May 2020, the Covid cases were around 775 and then-Opposition leader MK Stalin had started a campaign to close TASMAC shops. Now, with more than 24,000 cases, what's the need to open the TASMACs?'
Scheduled international commercial passenger flights will remain suspended till February 28, a notice issued by the Director-General of Civil Aviation said Wednesday. The restriction does not apply to international cargo flights, those approved by the DGCA and flights from countries with which India has entered into an air bubble arrangement.
Earlier, the DGCA had extended the ban till January 31, 2022, revoking its decision to resume scheduled international flights from December 15 onwards.
"The number of daily new Covid-19 cases is decreasing and the overall situation is under control," Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope was quoted as saying by ANI Wednesday.
"Hospitalisations are less in number," he said, adding, "We are using our full potential to increase testing and vaccination coverage:"
Delhi has administered 1,47,354 precaution doses of the Covid-19 vaccine in 10 days since the vaccination drive was opened for a third dose for healthcare workers, frontline workers, and those above the age of 60 years with comorbidities. This means more than 15 per cent of those who are eligible for the third dose have been immunised.
Meanwhile, 6,14,151 children aged between 15 and 18 have been vaccinated with the first dose after the inoculation drive began for them. This is more than 60 per cent of the 10 lakh eligible children. Read more
The Supreme Court has summoned the Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar for the non-payment of ex-gratia compensation to the kin of Covid-19 victims despite its earlier orders, ANI reported.
The apex court has asked them to be present before it at a virtual hearing to be held at 2 pm today (Wednesday).
50 per cent of India's teenagers have been vaccinated with the first dose against Covid-19, Health Minister Mansukh Mandivya stated over Twitter.
Lauding the pace of vaccination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said, "Young and youthful India showing the way!"
Data shared by the Union Ministry of Health Wednesday showed that over 158.88 crore vaccines have been administered in the country so far.
Of these, 56 lakh third 'precautionary doses' have been administered. The drive to innoculate eligible groups -- health care workers, frontline workers and those aged above 60 years -- with precaution doses began last week on January 10.
The number of active Covid-19 cases in Andaman and Nicobar Islands rose to 460 as 84 more people tested positive for the infection, while 73 patients were cured of the disease in the last 24 hours, an official said on Wednesday. The fresh infections raised the tally in the Union Territory to 8,779, he said.
Altogether 8,190 people have so far recovered from the disease in the archipelago. (PTI)
The Omicron tally has reached 8,961 — an increase of 0.79 per cent since yesterday, data updated by the Health Ministry showed.
The ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ Covid-19 vaccination campaign has resulted in more than 13 lakh doses being administered in the last two-and-a-half months in Pune district. Of the 13.60 lakh vaccine doses, more than four lakh were administered to first-time beneficiaries while the rest 9.5 lakh got their second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
In Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) area, 3.68 lakh vaccine doses were administered of which 93,033 beneficiaries got the first vaccine dose while 2.75 lakh beneficiaries got their second shot of the anti-Covid vaccine.
In Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation area, 3.9 lakh vaccine doses were administered of which 1.36 lakh beneficiaries got the first vaccine shot while 4.16 lakh got the second dose. In Pune rural, more than 5.9 lakh vaccine doses were administered of which 1.75 lakh beneficiaries got the first vaccine dose while 4.16 lakh got the second shot. Read more
India recorded 2,82,970 new cases and 441 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Wednesday, data updated by the Union Ministry of Health showed. The active caseload has increased to 18,31,000, up from yesterday’s 17.3 lakh. The daily positivity rate has also increased to 15.13 per cent.
According to the Health Ministry, the active cases account for 4.83 per cent of the total cases. Meanwhile, the country's recovery rate stands at 93.88 per cent.
Amid the ongoing Covid wave, the government has decided to “significantly” curtail the number of people who will physically attend the Republic Day celebrations this year. And, like last time, this year, too, there will be no foreign dignitary as the chief guest.
Until last week, the Defence Ministry was preparing to accommodate around 24,000 people. That number is likely to be trimmed down to 5,000 to 8,000 guests this year, senior officials said on Tuesday.
As part of the curbs, children under the age of 15 years will not be allowed to attend the parade. Read more
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday chaired a meeting with a panel of experts to assess the Covid-19 situation even as Gujarat recorded the highest single-day surge of 17,119 new cases and 10 deaths. Ahmedabad district, too, recorded a new high of 6,078 new Covid cases and three fatalities.
At the meeting, sources said that the experts advised the government about creating awareness among the public about the severity of the infection.
According to some of the experts that The Indian Express spoke to, the government was informed that daily cases in state can go up to “50,000 to about one lakh” and the peak can occur between last week of January and first week of February. The wave is expected to abate by end of February or early March, they said. Read more
The state government on Tuesday extended the duration of the night curfew in view of the surge in Covid-19 cases. Night curfew in the state will now commence from 8 pm instead of 9 pm and will continue like before till 5 am. The government had earlier announced a night curfew for a period of 10 days from January 10.
As per the latest directive, malls, shopping complexes, parks, picnic spots, movie halls, exhibitions and mela, among others, would be shut from January 20, when the new circular would come into force. All religious activities, including kirtan events, will not be allowed after January 23. Read more
West Bengal recorded 10,430 new Covid-19 cases over the last 24 hours, an increase of 1,045 infections from Monday, a bulletin issued by the state health department stated. The fresh cases took the state’s tally of cases to 9,17,514.
The state also saw 34 fresh Covid-related deaths taking its overall toll to 20,155. Read more
Mumbai Police has said 28 of its personnel tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, taking the number of active cases in the force to 1,273, news agency ANI reported.
In Pune, 21 more personnel tested positive yesterday, taking the number of infected personnel to 504, Pune Police said.
The Union Ministry of Health will update India's Covid-19 tally shortly. Till then, here's a look at how major cities across India are faring:
Mumbai: BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said on Tuesday that Mumbai had moved past the peak and the daily Covid-19 case count was expected to fall further over the coming days. The city reported its highest single-day spike of 20,971 cases at 28.9 per cent positivity rate on January 7. Over the last week, the city’s daily case count has seen a steady fall. It dipped to 10,661 on Saturday; 7,895 on Sunday; and 5,956 on Monday. On Tuesday, 6,149 new cases were reported.
Delhi: Just six days ago, Delhi had recorded a new all-time peak, detecting 28,867 cases. It has seen a steady and fast decline after that. The capital reported 11,684 cases on Tuesday.
Kolkata: In Kolkata, the case count rose to more than double of its second wave peak — 8,712 cases on January 9 compared to 3,990 on May 23 last year. But it dropped quickly after that, and on Tuesday, the city reported only 2,205 cases.
Chennai: The city is also showing distinct signs of a slowdown, though the cases have not begun to decline. The city has been reporting between 8,000 and 9,000 cases for six days now.
Bengaluru: It reported 25,595 cases on Tuesday, the highest so far in the third wave, and only marginally below its all-time peak of 26,756 recorded on April 30 last year.
Pune: The city also reported the highest number of cases in this wave on Tuesday – its 11,784 cases on Tuesday is below the second wave peak of 12,825 cases.
Three people were booked in Gujarat's Tapi district after a video of a marriage function surfaced in which hundreds of people were seen dancing to music without following social distancing norms or wearing face masks in violation of Covid-19 guidelines, police said on Tuesday.
The function was held on Monday night in Pati village, a senior official said, adding that a sub-inspector and a head constable of Dolvan police station have been suspended for dereliction of duty as they had failed to collect information about it and prevent people from gathering. (PTI)
A medical store at NIBM sells a ‘Self Test Kit’ for Covid-19 Rapid Antigen test as there is high demand for it in the wake of the Covid surge claimed by the store owner.
Mumbai, on Tuesday, reported 6,149 Covid-19 cases and seven deaths. The city recorded 193 more cases than Monday. The active cases in the city are 44,084.
Karnataka reports 41,457 new Covid-19 cases, with Bangalore reporting 25,595 new cases on Tuesday. The total number of deaths reported in the state were 20, seven in Bangalore, on Tuesday. Tuesday's positivity rate in the state was 22.30 per cent.
Delhi reported 11,684 fresh Covid-19 cases and 38 deaths on Tuesday. The positivity rate on Tuesday was recorded to be 22.47 per cent. The active cases in Deli were 78,112, as of Tuesday evening.
The Karnataka government on Tuesday asked doctors to exercise caution while giving statements to the media on Covid-19.
This comes as contradicting statements were made by practitioners in a few instances. In a media statement, the Commissionerate of Health and Family Services said some medical practitioners were allegedly giving incomplete, inaccurate, and unsubstantiated information about Covid-19.
“Such misinformation leads to confusion in public at large on the prevailing Covid scenario in the state and encourages them to deviate from well laid out guidelines issued by the health and revenue authorities,” the statement said.
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Kerala recorded a total of 28,481 new Covid-19 cases and 39 deaths on Tuesday. The active cases as of Tuesday evening were 1,42,512 in the state.
A staffer of the Delhi Police receives a Covid 19 vaccination at a centre in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Noting that Covid testing has declined in many States and Union Territories, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has urged all States and UTs to increase the pace of testing "in a strategic manner" keeping in view the case-positivity trend in specific geographies in States and UTs. Ministry asked them to speed up the testing to efficiently track the spread of the virus and initiate actions quickly.
Japan's government is preparing social restrictions in Tokyo and other regions as the omicron variant of the coronavirus infects more people.
Japan has never had a lockdown during the pandemic but has focused instead on asking restaurants and bars to close early. Crowds are back in many parts of Japan, with people packing stores and events, while Covid-19 cases jump.
The order will be finalised this week and is likely to take effect Friday, the government spokesman said Tuesday. The measures are expected to last for about three weeks in 16 regions, including Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima, which were already placed under some restrictions earlier this month. (AP)
Hong Kong ordered a cull of 2,000 hamsters on Tuesday and warned pet owners not to kiss animals after a new cluster of Covid-19 cases was traced to a pet shop.
The outbreak of Delta variant cases in humans linked to the shop worker prompted tests on hundreds of animals, with 11 hamsters showing up positive.
The territory's Health Secretary Sophia Chan stressed at a news conference that there was no evidence domestic animals can pass the disease to humans, but authorities were anyway acting out of caution to ban imports and sales of pet rodents. (Reuters)
Romania reported 16,760 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, more than double on the day and the biggest single-day rise since October, as the Omicron coronavirus variant takes hold.
Romania is the European Union's second-least vaccinated state, with just under 41 per cent of the population fully inoculated amid distrust of state institutions and poor vaccine education.
The number of new infections was approaching a record high of 18,863 daily cases seen in October, official data showed, but hospitalisations were still relatively low. Sixty-five people died of the virus within the last 24 hours.
Romania has shortened the isolation and quarantine periods for Covid-19 positive people, their direct contacts and untested travellers from high-risk countries to varying lengths depending on whether they are vaccinated. (Reuters)
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. (PTI)
he Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that it had so far sanctioned the compensation of Rs 50,000 each to 68,370 claims filed by the kin of patients who died due to coronavirus infection in the state.
This information about processing such claims was given in the affidavit filed by the state government in the apex court on January 14, an official said on Tuesday. As per the state health department, the death toll due to Covid-19 in Gujarat stood at 10,164 as of Monday (January 17).
The state government had already clarified the discrepancy in the Covid-19 death toll, saying the number of fatalities went up after the apex court amended the definition of deaths due to coronavirus last year. (PTI)
Here are some of the top Covid stories from across the globe:
As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, Japan's government is expanding social restrictions in Tokyo and other regions. Japan has never had a lockdown during the pandemic but has focused instead on asking restaurants and bars to close early.
The order will be finalized this week and is likely to take effect Friday, the government spokesman said Tuesday. The measures are expected to last for about three weeks in 16 regions, including Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima, which were already placed under some restrictions earlier this month. (AP)
Meanwhile, 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.(Reuters)
Australia on Tuesday suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic as a fast-moving Omicron outbreak continued to push up hospitalisation rates to record levels, even as daily infections eased slightly. Australia is dealing with its worst Covid-19 outbreak, fuelled by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that has put more people in hospitals and intensive care than at any time during the pandemic. (Reuters)
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. (PTI)
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. (PTI)
India witnessed a decrease in fresh coronavirus cases, reporting 2.38 lakh new cases in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am on Tuesday, around 20,000 less than the day before. The country’s active caseload presently stands at 17,36,628, while the recovery rate is now at 94.09 per cent. The total tally of Omicron cases rose to 8,891, marking an increase of 8.31 per cent since yesterday.
Meanwhile, doctors treating patients with coronavirus disease (Covid-19) should avoid prescribing steroids and get them tested for tuberculosis if severe cough persists, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said in its updated set of guidelines.
This morning, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms.
Issuing an updated set of guidelines for the care of Covid-19 patients, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has urged doctors to avoid the use of steroids and to test patients for tuberculosis if severe coughing persists. According to the revised guidelines, steroid increase the risk of secondary infections, such as black fungus, and must thus, be avoided.
Australia on Tuesday suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic as a fast-moving Omicron outbreak continued to push up hospitalisation rates to record levels, even as daily infections eased slightly. Australia is dealing with its worst Covid-19 outbreak, fuelled by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus that has put more people in hospitals and intensive care than at any time during the pandemic.
A total of 74 deaths were registered by late morning between New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Australia’s three most populous states, exceeding the previous national high of 57 last Thursday, official data showed. (Reuters)
Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said the state government has decided not to enforce a lockdown in spite of a surge in Covid-19 cases.
After participating in a Covid review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday, Ashoka said, “Experts have compared the trends in Delhi and Maharashtra, where the number of cases has been declining in recent days. According to their calculation, Karnataka may see cases peaking in the last week of January. Thereafter, the cases are expected to decline.”
The government will hold another meeting on Friday to take a decision on weekend curfew and night curfew, the minister said. Read more.
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. (PTI)
Take a look at some Covid data for the day: