Covid India Omicron Today Updates: As Covid cases multiply, states roll out stricter curbs

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Tuesday decided to impose a weekend curfew in the national capital. Only essential movement will be allowed during the curfew. It also decided to implement work from home in all government offices, while private offices will be permitted to function at 50 per cent capacity. Also, the Delhi metro and buses will now allow 100 per cent seat occupancy to avoid crowding at bus stops and stations.

At the same time, Delhi on Tuesday reported 5,481 fresh Covid cases and three deaths with a test positivity rate of 8.37 per cent. Number of people on oxygen support rose from 124 to 168 in the past 24 hours. Those on ventilators also doubled to 14 in a day.

Karnataka

In the wake of surging Covid cases, Karnataka will be placed under a weekend lockdown for a period of two weeks, minister R Ashoka said on Tuesday. According to a statement issued by the state government, weekend curfew will be in force from 10 pm on Friday to 5 am on following Monday. Revising the existing Covid guidelines, the order stated that night curfew in the state will continue from 10 pm to 5 am. Pubs, clubs, restaurants, bars, hotels, cinema halls, multiplexes, theatres and auditoriums will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent seating capacity.

Punjab

The Punjab government, meanwhile, has imposed a night curfew in the state from 10 pm to 5 am, excluding essential services. All educational institutes shall remain closed, while online classes will continue. Moreover, bars, cinemas halls, malls, restaurants and spas will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity, subject to staff being fully vaccinated.

Among other restrictions, the notification urges people to follow the ‘no mask, no service’ principle — no service shall be provided in government and private offices to the person not wearing proper mask.

Beneficiaries waiting for Covid vaccination follow social distancing norms in Delhi. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

Telangana

In Telangana, Sankranthi holidays were declared for all educational institutions across the state between January 8 and 16. The decision was taken Monday during Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s review of the Covid-19 situation prevailing in the state. However, officials informed the CM there was no need to impose a lockdown in the state at present.

Maharashtra

Mumbai on Tuesday reported 10,860 new Covid-19 cases and two fatalities. With the fresh infections and deaths reported, the number of active cases rose to 47,476 and the toll stood at 16,381. As per the data provided by the city health department, 89 per cent patients are asymptomatic.

Maharashtra is planning to procure an approximate 1 lakh S-gene test kits to ensure that infections from the Omicron variant are detected faster. This comes as the state continued to top the Omicron count in the country, with 568 total cases as of Tuesday. In light of the surge in cases, Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation (BMC)-run schools in Mumbai will remain closed for Classes 1 to 9 and Class 11 till January 31.

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has said if the daily covid-19 cases cross the 20,000-mark, a lockdown will be imposed in the city as per the Union government’s rules. Talking to reporters at her office in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, Pednekar suggested that citizens wear triple-layer masks while travelling in public buses and local trains. She also appealed to them to get vaccinated at the earliest and follow all Covid-19-related standard operating procedures (SOPs).

In Pune, schools will remain closed for classes 1 to 8 till January 30, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced. He further added that online classes will continue.

Micro-containment zone at Loudon street in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

Kerala

Kerala, which has been playing a major part in contributing to the Covid-19 caseload of the country, has decided to impose restrictions on the number of participants in public events. In case of events held at closed premises, the attendees would be limited to 75, while the same for open spaces would be 150. The restrictions would be applicable to all events. The decision was taken in a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan which observed that 80 per cent of the eligible population in Kerala have got the second dose of vaccine. The meeting also decided to strengthen the screening of passengers arriving at all airports. As on January 3, Kerala has reported 181 Omicron variant cases.

Chhattisgarh

In case of Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday ordered a ban on rallies, processions and other kind of public events across the state, an official release said. Baghel also ordered a “night clamp-down” from 10 pm to 6 am in the districts where the case positivity rate is 4 per cent and above. The directives to district collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) were issued in the light of a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases in the last one week. The state recorded 1,782 new cases of coronavirus in the last one week. On Monday alone, 698 fresh infections were reported.

Vaccine Centre at a Govt Dispensary in New Delhi, Saturday, 01 Jan 2022 (Express Photo By Amit Mehra)

Haryana

The Haryana government Tuesday restricted the attendance at government offices, boards and corporations to 50 per cent of the total strength. The rest of the employees will work from home, according to a government notification. The fresh set of instructions were issued by the office of Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal.

Bihar

Bihar on Tuesday imposed fresh curbs as active Covid cases in the state reached 2222 with over 800 cases reported in the last 24 hours. Patna and Gaya are the worst-affected. A statement released by the government said a night curfew will be in force from 10 pm to 5 am. Pre-schools and classes 1 to 8 will remain closed. However, online classes will continue. Educational institutions for classes 9 to 12 will function with 50 per cent capacity. Religious places, malls, cinemas, clubs, swimming pools, stadiums, gyms, parks will also remain closed. These latest restrictions will remain in effect from January 6 to 21.

Meanwhile, Delhi CM Kejriwal, who had attended an election rally in Dehradun a day before, on Tuesday announced that he was Covid positive. However, Health Minister Satyendra Jain stated that the infection was mild. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, too, announced over Twitter that they have tested positive for coronavirus.

Furthermore, scientists have identified a new strain of the Covid-19 causing virus in Southern France. Known as ‘IHU’, the B.1.640.2 variant has been reported by researchers at institute IHU Mediterranee Infection in at least 12 cases, and has been linked to travel to African country Cameroon. However, the researchers noted that it is too early to speculate on how this variant behaves as far as infection and protection from vaccines is concerned.

(With inputs from PTI)