Medics from NMMC Health Department take swab samples of students for RT-PCR test at Shetkari Shikshan Sanstha School at Ghansoli, in Navi Mumbai, Saturday, Dec 18, 2021. (PTI)Coronavirus Highlights: Omicron variant of Covid-19 is at least 3 times more transmissible than the Delta variant, the Centre has written to all states and Union Territories. In a letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “Omicron is at least 3 times more transmissible than Delta. Hence, even greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action are required at the local and district level”.
India has at least 200 cases of the new Omicron variant till now, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Maharashtra and Delhi have the highest number of Omicron cases, at 54 each followed by Telangana (20) and Karnataka (19). The country recorded 5,326 new coronavirus cases and 453 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Tuesday. Active cases stand at 79,097, the lowest in 574 days.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government on Tuesday said that no parties or mass gatherings would be permitted in the state from December 30 to January 2 keeping in view the Covid-19 situation and the rising number of cases of Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters that upon recommendation from experts, the government decided to prohibit mass gatherings in the city and other public places in the state. In Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said that gatherings of more than 200 people will now require permission from the local assistant municipal commissioners.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday informed the Rajya Sabha that there is no evidence to suggest that existing vaccines do not work on Omicron variant of coronavirus, though some of the mutations reported on spike gene may decrease the efficacy of existing vaccines. “There are limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron,” he said in a written reply. He was responding to a question on whether the vaccinations that are given in the country are effective to develop immunity for this variant.
A worker prepares a bed for Covid patients in Commonwealth Games Village in view of the Omicron cases, in New Delhi, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021. (PTI Photo)
Four more Omicron cases have been reported in Telangana on Tuesday, taking the total number of cases of the new coronavirus variant in the state to 24. Of the four new Omicron cases, three are passengers who arrived at the international airport here from countries other than those declared at risk by the Centre, while one is contact of a positive case, a state health department bulletin said. It said the outcome of 13 samples is awaited over their Omicron status. (PTI)
With 19 confirmed cases of Omicron in Karnataka till now, an expert, a member of the state genomic surveillance committee, is looking at two possibilities — either a full-blown third wave or a mild effect of the new variant due to a high percentage of vaccination coverage. However, he warned that if the former happens, the state should be prepared for lockdowns and other restrictions.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Vishal Rao, who is also the Regional Director – Head & Neck Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery, HCG Cancer Hospital, said while there is a global spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, primarily due to the Omicron variant, currently, it is under control in India. Read More
The cumulative Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 138.89 crore (138,89,29,333) on Tuesday, the Union health ministry said. As many as 51,30,949 vaccine doses had been administered till 7 pm. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night, the ministry said.
Three Omicron cases have been detected from the outskirts of Jammu city.
Confirming this, the Jammu and Kashmir Government Health and Medical Efucation Department tweeted: "Three Omicron cases confirmed by NCDC, Delhi from a cluster in Jammu. Sample taken on 30th November. RTPCR testing of entire locality ordered”.
Meanwhile, sources said that none of these people have travel history abroad.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan Tuesday issued specific guidelines to the states in the backdrop of “initial signs of surge” in cases of Covid-19 as well as increased detection of the Variant of Concern (VoC), Omicron, in different parts of the country. These recommendations relate to strategies for containment and restrictions in districts reporting high positivity rates, including the imposition of night curfew, strict regulation of large gatherings, curtailing numbers in marriages. Read More
Maharashtra on Tuesday reported 11 more Omicron cases making it the top contributor for the new Covid-19 variant cases in the country. The state has so far detected 65 Omicron cases.
Omicron variant of Covid-19 is at least 3 times more transmissible than the Delta variant, the Centre has written to all states and Union Territories. In a letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “Omicron is at least 3 times more transmissible than Delta. Hence, even greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action are required at the local and district level," news agency ANI reported.
The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday recorded its highest daily virus caseload in months, a spike that comes as the omicron variant races across the globe and the Mideast tourist hub prepares to welcome hordes of tourists for the holidays. The UAE reported 452 infections in the past 24 hours, including two deaths - an increase not seen in the highly vaccinated Gulf Arab state since mid-September.
Infections had plummeted to record lows, around 50 a day, just over a week ago, contributing to a sense in the freewheeling entrepot of Dubai that the worst of the pandemic was over and life could return to normal. A nationwide mask mandate remains in place outdoors, but Dubai's bars and restaurants have been teeming with mask-less revelers. Most luxury hotels report that they're booked through the December holidays. (AP)
Kerala on Tuesday logged 2,748 new Covid-19 infections, taking the caseload to 52,10,738. The state also reported 233 deaths, raising the toll to 45,155. Of the 233 deaths, 33 were recorded over the last few days and 200 were designated as Covid-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court.
With 3,202 more people recovering from the virus since Monday, the total recoveries reached 51,48,703 and the active cases dropped to 28,035. As many as 56,808 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
There is no evidence to suggest that existing vaccines do not work on Omicron variant of coronavirus, though some of the mutations reported on spike gene may decrease the efficacy of existing vaccines, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Tuesday.
"There are limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron," Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a written reply.
Keeping in view the Covid-19 situation and the rising number of cases of Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, the Karnataka government on Tuesday said that no parties or mass gatherings would be permitted in the state from December 30 to January 2.
"We had a meeting with experts through video conference regarding the new year celebrations, keeping in mind the COVID-19 and Omicron related cases. On their recommendation, the government decided to prohibit mass gatherings in the city and other public places in the state. We are banning mass gatherings at open places. This is across the state from December 30 to January 2," Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters.
He said no parties or events like having Disc Jockeys at clubs and restaurants would be allowed. "The clubs and restaurants will be allowed to have only 50 per cent of the capacity, but there is a ban on organising parties and Disc Jockeys. Similarly in apartments too, there will be no parties or DJs and residents' associations will have to ensure that the rules are not violatedm," Bommai said. (PTI)
New Zealand will shorten the gap between second Covid-19 vaccine doses and boosters and push back the phased reopening of its borders in measures announced Tuesday to keep the omicron variant at bay.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin told reporters the government has agreed to a “suite of precautionary measures” in light of the threat posed by the omicron strain of the coronavirus. The gap between a second vaccine dose and a booster will be shortened from six to four months, meaning 82 percent of vaccinated New Zealanders will be due for a booster by February.
New Zealand's strict border regulations so far have been successful in keeping omicron from spreading in the community. The only cases reported so far have been in travelers who are in managed isolation and quarantine. (PTI)
The complete Covid vaccination has crossed the 75 per cent mark in Kerala as over two crore people have received both the first and second doses of the jab, the state government said on Tuesday.
A total of 2,60,09,703 crore people- 97.38 per cent of the total population to be vaccinated, have taken the first dose of the jab while 2,00,32,229 people-75 per cent- received the second shot, state Health Minister Veena George said. (PTI)
Lok Sabha MP Kunwar Danish Ali, who attended Parliament on Monday, said he has tested positive for Covid-19. The BSP leader added that he is fully vaccinated, and urged people who had come in contact with him to isolate themselves.
“Despite being fully vaccinated, today, I tested positive for #COVID19. Yesterday, I attended Parliament also. I request all those who came in my contact to get tested and isolate themselves. I am having mild symptoms and hope to recover soon,” he tweeted.
At least two people in Odisha have tested positive for the omicron variant of COVID-19, the first cases of the latest version of coronavirus in the state, officials said on Tuesday. Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) confirmed the existence of the variant in the two patients after conducting the genome sequencing of 12 samples.
Both of them have travel history to foreign nations - Nigeria and Qatar, respectively, they said. The returnee from the African country is fully vaccinated, and is stable in hospital, Cuttack District COVID-19 Nodal Officer Umesh Ray said.
The covid-19 daily positivity rate in India was recorded at 0.53 per cent. It has been less than two per cent for last 78 days. The weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 0.59 per cent. It has been below one per cent for the last 37 days, according to the ministry.
India’s vaccine manufacturing capacity will reach 45 crore doses per month in the next two months, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, adding that the current capacity is 31 crore doses.
With 137 crore doses administered so far, 88 per cent of the country’s population have received one dose of the vaccine, while 58 per cent have been fully vaccinated, he said. Mandaviya said the figures are impressive when seen alongside numbers in countries with less populations. For example, he said, in the UK, US, Germany and Italy, the share of first-dose coverage is 76, 72, 73 and 79 per cent, respectively.
The effectiveness of Covid vaccines available in India against the Omicron variant will be known within a week, when the results of a related study are published, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament Monday.
Besides, he said, the Government is taking all steps to tackle any surge, based on learnings from the first and second waves, including ramping up medical oxygen capacity and buffer stock of medicines.
Though less than 1,500 cases of Omicron variant have been confirmed in the United States so far, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that over 70 per cent of all cases detected in the last week could be because of this new variant.
The United States has been reporting over one lakh new cases a day. According to Washington Post, the seven-day average of new cases touched 1.31 lakh on Monday. That would mean that the US already has over six lakh infections of the Omicron variant in the population.
In its new assessment of the spread of the Omicron variant, the CDC has said that up to 73 per cent of all cases detected between December 12 and 18 could be because of this variant. The percentage could be even higher, over 90 per cent, in New York and some other regions, according to a report by The Associated Press. (Read more here)
Six more cases of the Omicron variant of Covid have been detected in Delhi, taking the total number of people testing positive for the latest variant of the coronavirus here to 28, sources said on Monday. At least 12 patients have been discharged, they said. (With PTI)
India has at least 200 cases of the new Omicron variant till now, the health ministry said on Tuesday. Maharashtra and Delhi have the highest number of Omicron cases, at 54 each followed by Telangana and Karnataka.
Moderna said Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine should offer protection against the rapidly spreading omicron variant.
Moderna said lab tests showed the half-dose booster shot increased by 37 times the level of so-called neutralizing antibodies able to fight omicron.
And a full-dose booster was even stronger, triggering an 83-fold jump in antibody levels, although with an increase in the usual side effects, the company said. While half-dose shots are being used for most Moderna boosters, a full-dose third shot has been recommended for people with weakened immune systems.
A 27-year-old woman with a travel history to the UK was found infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus in Gujarat's Vadodara on Monday, officials said, adding that the patient is asymptomatic.
This is the third Omicron case in Vadodara and the 12th in Gujarat.
India recorded 5,326 new coronavirus cases and 453 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Tuesday. Active cases stand at 79,097 while over 8,000 people recovered on Monday.
Result of 15 samples is awaited for Omicron in Telangana, the state health department said on Monday. Till date, 20 cases of the new coronavirus variant have been reported in the state. Meanwhile, Telangana today recorded 156 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 6,79,720. No death was reported due to the infectious disease on Monday.
The death toll stood at 4,015. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 53, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (22) and Ranga Reddy (14) districts, a state government bulletin said.
As many as 31 patients out of 54 who have been found infected with the new coronavirus variant Omicron in Maharashtra so far have been discharged from hospitals, a health department official said on Monday. No fresh case of Omicron, classified as a 'variant of concern' by the WHO, was reported in the state on Monday, keeping the newly discovered strain's tally unchanged at 54, he said. Of these, the highest 22 cases were from Mumbai.
Majority of people who have so far tested positive for the Omicron variant of Covid in Delhi have a travel history to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it is learnt.
Delhi has recorded 24 Omicron cases so far. As per data shared by sources for 22 of the cases, 19 were international travellers while three contracted it after they came in contact with those who returned from abroad. Of the 19, 10 have a travel history to the UAE, four to the UK, two to South Africa, two to Tanzania, while one came from Zimbabwe.
Amid the increase in cases, especially of the Omicron variant, the Delhi government has decided to conduct genome sequencing of all fresh cases. The tests are conducted at the National Centre of Disease Control, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, and Lok Nayak Hospital. Sources said these hospitals have conducted genome sequencing of about 320 samples, of which 11% were Omicron, 49% were Delta and 40% were ‘other’.
Bharat Biotech has sought approval from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct a phase-3 study for its intra-nasal Covid-19 vaccine as a booster dose on participants vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin, PTI quoted official sources as saying on Monday. “Bharat Biotech has put in an application seeking permission to conduct a study titled ‘A Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of BBV154 and BBV152 as third dose (booster) to participants previously vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines’,” an official said.
A Delhi court has convicted a wedding organiser for flouting COVID-19 norms by allowing a gathering of more than 50 people at the function in 2020, where none of the guests wore masks or maintained social distancing. Allegations against convict Sunil Narula were that he organised the marriage function at his farmhouse in Delhi's Nawada Housing Complex on December 11, 2020, where he allowed more than 50 people without following the prescribed rules. On a complaint filed by his neighbour, two police officers went to the farmhouse, where they saw that none of the guests wore masks and no social distancing norms were followed by the farmhouse owner. --PTI
Delhi on Monday recorded 91 fresh cases of Covid-19 while the positivity rate in the city touched 0.2% first time since June. With Omicron cases on the rise across the country, the Delhi government decided to conduct genome tests of all samples testing positive for coronavirus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said. So far, only samples of international travellers were being sent for genome sequencing.
"As of now, India has 161 #Omicron cases...We're monitoring the situation daily with experts. With our experience during the 1st & 2nd waves, to ensure that we don't face problems when variant spreads, we've arranged a buffer stock of important medicines," Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya says in Rajya Sabha.
Thailand is considering reinstating mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors, as the health ministry on Monday reported the country’s first case of local transmission of the Omicron variant.
The public health ministry will propose scrapping quarantine waiver for vaccinated visitors and revert to hotel quarantine and a “sandbox” programme, which allows free movement in specific locations, according to public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
Thailand has detected 63 people infected with the Omicron variant so far, Anutin said, with one case of local transmission and the rest being imported cases. Read more
There is "no evidence" that Omicron has a lower severity than the Delta strain, according to a yet-to-be-published study in the UK which also found that the new variant of coronavirus largely evades immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses.
The study by researchers from Imperial College London in the UK estimates that the risk of reinfection with the Omicron variant is 5.4 times greater than that of the Delta variant. This implies that the protection against reinfection by Omicron afforded by past infection may be as low as 19 per cent, the researchers said.
"The study finds no evidence of Omicron having lower severity than Delta, judged by either the proportion of people testing positive who report symptoms, or by the proportion of cases seeking hospital care after infection," the authors of the study said.
"However, hospitalisation data remains very limited at this time," they added. (PTI)
Six new Omicron cases have been detected in Delhi, taking the total number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus variant in the city to 28.
According to sources, two of these cases are admitted in Lok Nayak Hospital and four in Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, which is one of the private hospitals where suspected Omicron cases from the Indira Gandhi International Airport are being isolated.
Of the 28 cases detected so far in Delhi, 12 have already been discharged.
During a press conference on Monday, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwak said at least 99 per cent of the eligible population has been given the first dose of the Covid vaccine and 70 per cent has been given the second dose as well. "I request the Central government, to allow booster doses for those who have been fully vaccinated," he said, adding that Delhi has the infrastructure to start administering the booster doses if they allow.
Given the rise in cases of the new coronavirus variant, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "now all positive cases in Delhi will be sent for genome sequencing for Omicron." Earlier, we were testing those coming from the airport for Omicron, now we will test 100% of positive cases for Omicron, he said.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, the CM stated that he had held a meeting with experts and the L-G on the spread of Omicron. "Experts have said that Omicron spreads quickly but it has mild symptoms...it has less hospitalisations and cases of death," he added. He stated that while Delhi is prepared in case of a larger number of hospitalisations, they will also be strenghtening the home isolation measures in the national capital.
Kerala on Monday reported four more Omicron cases, according to the state's Health Ministry. The state's tally now stands at 15.
Across the nation, Covid-19 cases are surging and the omicron variant is spreading, throwing the scheduling of schools, concerts and sports leagues into question. Just days away from a holiday weekend, Americans are also grappling with whether to change their traveling or gathering plans.
Millions are forging ahead, but, for many, a sense of unease has crept in.
More than 109 million Americans are expected to travel between December 23 and January 2, a 34% increase from last year, according to AAA. The number of airline passengers alone is projected to rise 184% from last year. Read more
The education department Sunday issued a fresh set of instructions for schools and parents to check the spread of Covid-19 among students and school staff.
As per the instructions, if any student is found with symptoms of any disease, all schools across boards — government, grant-in-aid and private — should report it to the district education officer or district primary education officer.
The district education officials along with local health staff have to take immediate steps, the directive said, adding, “in the current scenario, the matter of following caution and vigilance in schools was under consideration”. Read more
Delhi on Monday reported two more Omicron cases, news agency ANI reported, taking its tally to 24.
As the Omicron variant continued to spread at an alarming rate, the United Kingdom seemed headed for severe restrictions ahead of Christmas. Over 12,000 new cases of Omicron infections were detected in the UK on Sunday, according to Sky News, taking the total so far to more than 37,000.
But this might just be a small fraction of the actual number of cases, UK’s health minister Sajid Javid said. He said that for the Delta variant, roughly one in four or five cases are detected, and for Omicron this might be even less.
Anthony Fauci, one of the topmost public health experts in the United States, issued a warning similar to what scientists have been saying about the UK since the last couple of weeks. Fauci said the spread of Omicron could result in a record number of coronavirus cases, hospitalisations and deaths in the United States in the coming weeks. Read more
Amid the fear of spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has appealed to citizens to avoid gatherings and parties during the upcoming Christmas festival and New Year, and warned of stringent action against those who flout rules.
He said despite repeated appeals by the government and administration to prevent a possible third wave of Covid-19, the guidelines are not being followed properly in most places - especially at wedding ceremonies and other functions, and there is a need to curb the growing crowds at such events.
"Avoid any kind of crowding, wear masks and follow Covid-19 guidelines. All citizens must also get fully vaccinated," the civic chief said. (PTI)
India on Monday recorded 6,563 new Covid-19 cases and 132 deaths in the last 24 hours. With 8,077 recoveries, the active cases in the country stood at 82,267, according to the Health Ministry’s bulletin.
The daily positivity rate stood at 0.75% and weekly positivity rate at 0.60%. Meanwhile the, active cases accounted for 0.24% of the total number of infections in the country.
A growing body of preliminary research suggests the Covid vaccines used in most of the world offer almost no defense against becoming infected by the highly contagious omicron variant.
All vaccines still seem to provide a significant degree of protection against serious illness from omicron, which is the most crucial goal. But only the Pfizer and Moderna shots, when reinforced by a booster, appear to have initial success at stopping infections, and these vaccines are unavailable in most of the world.
The other shots — including those from AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and vaccines manufactured in China and Russia — do little to nothing to stop the spread of omicron, early research shows. Read more
Karnataka Health Minister Dr Sudhakar on Monday morning tweeted that five more Omicron cases have been detected in the state, taking the tally to 19.
The next two or three weeks will tell us how the Omicron variant will play out on factors such as transmissibility, escaping immunity and severity, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi, said on Sunday.
In his oration ‘Covid 19 and lungs- lessons learnt and the way forward’, Dr Guleria said the present lot of vaccines can be tweaked so that they can offer protection against newer variants of concern. “The production of a new influenza vaccine each year demonstrates that it is possible to adapt existing vaccines to keep up with viral mutations,” the expert said. Read more
Two more pesons, aged 11 and 19 years, were on Sunday tested Covid positive with the new Omicron variant, taking the total of such cases to at least four in West Bengal. The two had recently arrived arrived from other countries.
While one of them is undergoing treatment at a hospital, the other is in home isolation. Their samples have been sent for further tests, said a senior health department official. “We are trying to trace all contacts of these patients,” said the official.