Journalism of Courage
Premium

Centre flags rise in 30 districts; 2 doses to 50% beneficiaries

According to the health ministry, rise in weekly cases have also been noted in Karnataka's Tumakuru, Dharwad, Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru. Whereas, in Kerala 13 out of 14 districts are reporting a high quantum of weekly new cases.

A health worker conducts Covid-19 testing of commuters amid fear of spread of Omicron, in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo)
Advertisement

Half of the eligible population in the country is now fully vaccinated, with over 1.03 crore doses being administered on Saturday. Around 21.38 crore unutilised doses are still available with states.

More than 10 lakh vaccination doses were administered Saturday in Bihar (15.33 lakh), Tamil Nadu (14.84 lakh), Rajasthan (10.8 lakh) and Uttar Pradesh (10.24 lakh), amidst the government’s push for vaccination in the light of the new Omicron variant.

In total, 85% of the eligible adult population has now received the first dose, while 50.35% are fully vaccinated.

India’s active caseload as of Saturday stood at 99,974, the lowest since March 2020. The daily positivity rate has remained below 2% for the last 61 days, and under 1% for 20 days.

Rising numbers in over 30 districts, however, are a bit of concern for the Health Ministry, which cautioned five states and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir Saturday regarding the same.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Mizoram and J&K, regarding their districts reporting an increase in new cases in the week ending December 3 compared to November 26. They have been directed to send all positive samples for genome sequencing, to rule out Omicron.

Explained: A key protective tool

With the emergence of the new variant of concern, vaccination is a key tool. While the efficacy of the vaccines against Omicron is still being scientifically examined,it is significant that half of India’s population has a certain level of protection against a sever form of Covid-19.

Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies. With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health. His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award. Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time. Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
  • COVID-19 Omicron
Edition
Install the Express App for
a better experience
Featured
Trending Topics
News
Multimedia
Follow Us
Muttaqi in IndiaWhy New Delhi is increasing engagement with Afghanistan's Taliban
X