Omicron Variant Cases and Deaths in India Live, Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Registration Latest Update, Covid-19 NeoCov Variant Feb 4 Highlights: The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in its meeting on Friday decided to reopen schools, colleges, coaching institutes, and gyms in Delhi, reports said. Notably, the duration of Delhi night curfew has also been reduced by one hour (between 11 pm and 5 am), as per the reports.
In the meeting to rethink Delhi Coronavirus restrictions, DDMA also allowed institutions of higher education to open subject to standard operating procedures (SoPs) and mandated strict adherence to COVID-appropriate-behaviour at the reopening schools. Reports said that at the DDMA meeting it was decided that the Delhi schools will reopen in a phased manner. The schools for classes 9th to 12th will reopen from February 7, the report added.
In an example of strict clamping of Covid rules in Delhi, DDMA has decided that teachers who aren’t vaccinated will not be permitted to attend classes.
Also, DDMA has allowed offices to function with 100% attendance in Delhi. Single drivers in cars will be exempted from compulsorily wearing masks all the time. There was a major furore over this Covid mask mandate in Delhi. Reports added that Delhi gyms will be allowed to reopen with Covid restrictions.
After touching the record high of 28,867 on January 13 this year, health department updates show that the number of daily cases in Delhi has been on a steady decline. During the present Coronavirus pandemic wave, Delhi recorded the highest positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14. And in the next 10 days, the daily cases have dropped below the 10,000-mark.
ALSO READ — 34 states/UTs witness decline in Covid-19 cases, says Health Ministry
Earlier, in a sign of relief, India on Friday reported 13% lower cases than the previous day and the daily positivity rate fell to single digits after hovering for much higher numbers in the recent weeks. As per the daily bulletin by the health ministry, India has recorded 1,49,394 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
The Covid-19 death toll for yesterday was 1,072 fatalities; while 2,46,674 recoveries were registered across the country.
The total number of Covid-19 vaccination doses administered in the country touched the 168.47 crore mark, as per the health ministry bulletin.
India Covid-19 Status in last 24 hours:
New COVID cases: 1,49,394;
Death recorded: 1,072;
Recoveries registered: 2,46,674;
Active cases: 14,35,569;
Daily positivity rate: 9.27%
Financial Express Online brings you the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus India Live News: Covid-19 Omicron Cases in India Live Count, Coronavirus Lockdown, Night Curfew Guidelines and Restrictions Live Updates
An infant girl was among seven persons who died of coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, pushing the toll to 4,009, while 816 fresh cases took the infection count to 2,75,496, a health official said. A three-month-old girl in Shimla district is among the fresh deaths. Besides, six men between the age group of 43 to 90 succumbed to the virus, he said. Three deaths were reported in Shimla and one death each in Solan, Hamirpur, Kullu and Mandi, the official added. (PTI)
Nearly 169 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have so far been administered in the country, the Union health ministry said on Friday. Over 42 lakh (42,95,142) vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm on Friday, it added. More than 1.43 crore (1,43,64,484) precaution doses have been administered to healthcare workers (HCWs), frontline workers (FLWs) and those aged 60 years and above, the ministry said. (PTI)
The Supreme Court Friday approved the agreement reached between the Centre and Parsi community on the protocol and standard operating procedure for handling of dead bodies of Parsi Zoroastrian COVID-19 victims under which a metallic net will be installed in ‘Tower of Silence' to avoid any contact of birds and animals. A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant noted the agreement which has been reached between the Centre and Surat Parsi Panchayat Board and disposed of an appeal against the Gujarat High Court order. (PTI)
Of the samples taken from patients who had died of COVID-19 in Delhi and which were analysed at genome sequence labs in January, 92 per cent were detected with Omicron variant, according to data shared by authorities. A total of 310 samples taken from those who had died, were sent to labs, out of which 98 were analysed, according to the data. The figures were shared during a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) held on Friday. (PTI)
“Schools, colleges, educational institutions from class 9th onwards to reopen from Feb 7, Duration of night curfew reduced by one hour (between 11 pm & 5 am) Gyms, swimming pools,Spas have been allowed to reopen,” reads the order pic.twitter.com/F6C9BxPmOS
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2022
The COVID-19 infection rate in Nepal is gradually decreasing as it is declining in neighbouring India and also due to people's adherence to safety measures, the health ministry said here on Friday. Though the country is currently hit by the Omicron virus, with the outbreak of the third wave of the pandemic, the infection rate is gradually decreasing, Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Sangeeta Mishra said. (PTI)
India continues its COVID19 assistance to Sri Lanka by initiating the delivery of 100,000 RAT kits from today. The remaining kits to follow in the coming days: High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka (ANI)
Any decision on expanding the list of eligible beneficiaries for the administration of the precaution dose of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination of children below 15 years will be in accordance with the recommendations of the NTAGI on the basis of a review of the available scientific evidence, the government informed Parliament on Friday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said inoculation against the viral disease of children in the 15-18 age group has begun from January 3 across the country, including in villages and remote areas. As on February 1, of the estimated population of about 7.4 crore beneficiaries aged 15-18 years, around 4.66 crore (63 per cent) had received the first dose and 3.59 lakh (0.5 per cent) had received the second dose of the vaccines. (PTI)
#covid19 | Maharashtra reported 13,840 new cases, 27,891 recoveries, and 81 deaths, in the last 24 hours. No new case of Omicron today. (ANI)
At least 825 persons tested positive for COVID-19, while five died of the infection in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Friday, an official said.
With this, the tally of infections in the district has risen to 4,71,057 and the toll reached 8,836, he said. As many as 2,672 persons were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the count of recoveries to 4,55,382, leaving the district with 6,839 active cases, the official said. Of the total number of cases reported so far, 2,70,786 were from Nashik city, 1,74,399 from other parts of the district, 13,829 from Malegaon and 8,127 from outside the district, it was stated. (PTI)
The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 9,95,049 on Friday after detection of 6,516 new cases, down from 7,430 a day ago, while the death toll increased to 10,648 after nine more patients succumbed to the infection in the state, a health department official said. The daily positivity rate, or cases detected per 100 coronavirus tests, reduced to 8.2 per cent from 9.2 on Thursday, he said. The recovery count stood at 9,33,382 after 8,451 people were discharged during the day, he said. (PTI)
Meghalaya's COVID-19 tally rose to 92,021 on Friday as 211 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the northeastern state's coronavirus death toll to 1,538, a health official said. East Khasi Hills district, under which Shillong falls, recorded the highest number of new cases at 88, followed by 54 in West Garo Hills and 17 in Ri-Bhoi, Health Services Director Dr Aman War said. The state now has 1,839 active cases, while 88,644 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 375 in the last 24 hours. (PTI)
Gujarat reports 6,097 new #covid19 cases, 12,105 recoveries, and 35 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active cases 57,521 Death toll 10,614 (ANI)
West Bengal reports 1,523 new #covid19 cases, 2,421 recoveries, and 35 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active cases 20,213 Positivity rate 3.10% (ANI)
Active cases 11,942
Positivity rate 2.67% pic.twitter.com/hvaIU2Qhpa
— ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2022
COVID19 | Delhi reports 2,272 new cases, 20 fatalities and 4,166 recoveries in the last 24 hours; Active cases stand at 11,716 (ANI)
Omicron variant is the dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country at present, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed Lok Sabha on Friday. According to the World Health Organization, the Omicron variant has significantly increased transmissibility as compared to the Delta variant, and as a result, it is rapidly replacing the latter globally, Pawar said in reply to a written question. “As per the available evidence, vaccines help in terms of lesser people getting infected, lesser hospitalisation and lesser severity of disease amongst the patients,” she stated. (PTI)
Continuing to report a declining trend on new Covid-19 cases, Tamil Nadu on Friday saw the daily cases fall below the 10,000 mark with 9,916 infections, pushing the tally to 33,97,238, the health department said. As many as 30 people succumbed to the virus during the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 37,696, a medical bulletin said. Recoveries outnumbered new cases with 21,435 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 32,04,213 leaving 1,55,329 active infections. (PTI)
Karnataka on Friday registered a decline in daily Covid-19 cases as the state reported 14,950 new infections and 53 deaths, taking the tally to 38,75,724 and death toll to 39,250, as per the official data.
All schools and colleges which remained closed since January 10 because of the rise in coronavirus cases here re-opened on Friday. Now that the cases were declining, a decision was taken by the Puducherry government to resume classes offline. A spokesman of the Directorate of Education said the institutions would function on all six days and were asked to ensure adherence to safety protocols. Students wearing masks were let into the premises only after sanitisation. (PTI)
Experts in Mizoram believe that spread of the Omicron variant is behind the rapidly rising number of cases of COVID-19 in the state even though this is to confirmed as yet by genome sequencing. State nodal officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and official spokesperson on COVID-19 Dr. Pachuau Lalmalsawma said that Omicron variant could be the reason for the high infection rate in Mizoram although genome sequencing to prove the Omicron variant has spread to these hilly border state is still awaited. “Our main suspect behind the rapid increase in COVID-19 case is Omicron, as most patients developed symptoms of the new variant,” he told PTI. (PTI)
A law requiring most adults in Austria to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is ready to take effect, but the sense of urgency that accompanied its announcement in November has largely evaporated. Few other countries look likely to go as far as attention turns to loosening restrictions. The Austrian mandate for residents 18 and over to get vaccinated — the first of its kind in Europe — cleared its last legislative hurdle Thursday when parliament's upper house approved what Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein called “a forward-looking and active step.” It's expected to become law in the coming days but it will be a while before Austrians notice any practical change. And it isn't clear when or even whether the toughest part of the plan, which was watered down from the initial proposal, will take effect. (AP)
Vaccine effectiveness of 99.3 per cent has been seen in individuals fully inoculated against coronavirus according to the data uploaded on India COVID-19 Tracker till January 2, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday. Responding to a question, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has developed the India COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker, by merging mainly three national databases — CoWIN, National COVID-19 Testing database and COVID-19 India portal. The tracker depicts vaccine effectiveness against death — the ability of vaccines to reduce death — using person time analysis from April 12, 2021 to January 2, 2022. (PTI)
The declining trend in daily Covid cases continued in Jammu and Kashmir with 1,429 being reported on Friday, officials said. They said the union territory also reported three deaths related to the pandemic that pushed the toll to 4,702. Of the fresh cases, 607 were recorded from the Jammu division and 822 from the Kashmir division, the officials said. (PTI)
A couple of professors of an engineering college in Indore in Madhya Pradesh have claimed to have made a device that can detect people moving about without wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'mask detector' was developed by Associate Professor Puja Gupta and Assistant Professor Upendra Singh of the Information Technology department of Shri GS Institute of Technology and Sciences (SGSITS), a government aided autonomous institute. “The mask detector works with the help of a CCTV camera. We have developed a software after detailed research to immediately identify those who are not wearing masks the moment they pass through the camera. A 'please wear mask' message will be blared and their images are captured in the camera associated with the system,” Gupta told PTI on Friday. (PTI)
Karnataka govt eases COVID-19 restrictions in the state “Gyms, Cinema halls, swimming pools & Yoga centres have been allowed to function with 100% capacity with strictly adhering to COVID appropriate behaviour and guidelines,” reads the order (ANI)
South Africa is seeing more cases of the BA.2 sub-variant of the Omicron coronavirus variant and is monitoring it, but there is no clear sign that BA.2 is substantially different from the original Omicron strain, a senior scientist said on Friday. Michelle Groome, from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, showed in a presentation that BA.2 accounted for 23% of the 450 samples from January sequenced by South Africa's genomic surveillance network and the original strain 75%. (Reuters)
Kerala | #covid19 positivity rate has decreased to 10%. The fatality rate is 0.9%, which is also less than the national average: State Health Minister Veena George (ANI)
Daily COVID-19 cases in Kerala further decreased on Friday with the state recording 38,684 fresh infections which raised the total caseload to 62,11,116. The southern state had reported 42,677 COVID-19 cases on Thursday. Kerala on Friday also reported 595 deaths which raised the total fatalities in Kerala to 57,296, according to a government release. (PTI)
Active cases continued to decline in Andhra Pradesh as the state reported 4,198 fresh infections in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday. According to the latest bulletin, the state recorded 9,317 recoveries and five deaths during the period. The number of active cases is now at 88,364, while the tally of positive cases is at 22,97,369, recoveries 21,94,359 and deaths 14,646, the bulletin said. (PTI)
