Coronavirus Omicron Feb 28 Highlights: Gujarat govt to lift all Covid restrictions except wearing of face mask, social distancing

Chhattisgarh on Monday reported 87 COVID-19 cases at a positivity rate of 0.41 per cent, taking the tally to 11,50,894, while the death toll increased by one to reach 14,028, an official said. The recovery count stood at 11,35,469 after 17 people were discharged from hospitals and 377 completed home isolation during the day, leaving the state with 1,397 active cases, he said. “Raipur recorded 10 cases, followed by Dhamtari nine, Durg eight, Korba seven, Kabirdham five, Bilaspur four, Mungeli three, Jashpur two and Raigarh one, among other districts. With 21,122 samples examined during the day, the tally of tests carried out so far went up to 1,71,06,224,” he added. Chhattisgarh's coronavirus figures are as follows: Positive cases 11,50,894, new cases 87, death toll 14,028, recovered 11,35,469, active cases 1,397, today tests 21,122, total tests 1,71,06,224. (PTI)

The Gujarat government on Monday decided to lift all the restrictions imposed earlier to contain the spread of novel coronavirus. However, people will have to follow the COVID-appropriate behaviour including the wearing of face masks and maintaining social distancing. The latest relaxations will be implemented from March 2. The easing of restrictions was announced on a day Gujarat reported 117 COVID-19 cases and 344 recoveries, bringing down the tally of active cases to 1,820. As per the latest circular, the state government removed the cap on the number of people who can attend political, social, educational, social and religious programmes. It also waived the requirement to show a COVID-19 certificate for entry to government and semi-government offices. Self-declaration on the vaccination status will be accepted henceforth. However, the mandatory wearing of face masks, maintaining social distancing, prohibition of spitting in public and sanitisation which are part of COVID appropriate behaviour will continue to be in force in Gujarat, the official statement said. Earlier, the government had lifted the night curfew from February 24. But the restrictions on the maximum number of people who can attend gatherings remained wherein political, social, educational, social and religious programmes were allowed to be held with 75 per cent capacity in open spaces and 50 per cent capacity in closed spaces. (PTI)

Assam on Monday reported 13 new COVID-19 cases and zero death, according to a bulletin issued by the National Health Mission (NHM). The COVID-19 tally in the state rose to 7,24,123 while the death toll remained at 6,638, it said. Kamrup Metropolitan district reported the highest of 10 new cases followed by one each in Jorhat, Morigaon and Nalbari. Assam currently has 176 active COVID-19 cases, while 7,15,962 people have recovered from the disease, including 59 on Monday, the bulletin said. The positivity rate declined to 0.39 per cent from Sunday's 0.62 per cent. The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 98.87 per cent. (PTI)

The West Bengal government on Monday announced existing night curfew curbs will continue to be in force till mid March as per COVID-19 restrictions even as the state recorded 89 new coronavirus cases, the lowest recorded infections since the outbreak of the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. In a notification, the government said the existing COVID-19 restrictions will continue to be in force till March 15 as recommended by the state executive committee of disaster management authority. As per the decision, “the movement of all vehicles and people will be restricted from 12 midnight to 5 AM. Only essential and emergency services will be allowed.” Other covid appropriate behaviour like “wearing masks, physical distancing and maintaining the standard health/hygiene protocol” should be adhered to as before , the notice said. (PTI)

Given the declining COVID-19 graph in Goa, the experts committee of the state government on Monday recommended that access to indoor activities be allowed to the fully-vaccinated people and all restrictions on such facilities lifted, a member said. If accepted, the recommendation will provide a big relief to indoor activities like casinos and theatres. The committee has also recommended that schools be allowed to function with a hundred per cent capacity, doing away with the required social distancing between students. Goa on Monday reported 18 COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 2,45,019, while the death toll remained unchanged at 3,801, an official said. The indoor activities are currently allowed with a fifty per cent capacity to ensure social distancing. (PTI)

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 177.67 crore on Monday, the Union Health Ministry said. More than 15 lakh vaccine doses have been administered till on Monday 7 pm. Over 2 crore precaution doses have been given to healthcare and frontline workers and comorbid people aged 60 and above. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late night. The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Inoculation of frontline workers started from February 2. (PTI)

Continuing to report a downtrend in new COVID-19 cases, Tamil Nadu added 366 infections, pushing the tally to 34,49,373 while the death toll mounted to 38,004 with one more fatality, the health department said. Recoveries eclipsed new cases with 1,013 people getting discharged in the last 24 hours, aggregating to 34,05,624 leaving 5,745 active infections, a medical bulletin said. After reporting new cases in triple digits for several weeks, infections in Chennai dropped to 96 followed by Coimbatore adding 54 cases, Chengalpet 40 while 24 districts reported new cases in single digit. (PTI)

The Odisha government on Monday prohibited the celebration of Holi in public places and also large gatherings during different festivals even as it unlocked all activities in the month of March in the wake of sharp decline in COVID-19 cases across the state. The Odisha government in its COVID-19 guideline for the month, said that it would remain in force from 5 AM of March 1 to 5 AM of March 31. While night curfew has been withdrawn from February 18, 2022 across the state, it said: “there is a need to unlock all activities”. However, COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and protocols are required to be observed scrupulously in order to prevent the transmission of the infection, the order issued by the Chief Secretary said. In regard to celebration of Mahashivratri, Holi, Dolapurnima, the order said that the local authorities would ensure proper adherence to the COVID-19 appropriate protocols. (PTI)

Gujarat on Monday reported 117 new COVID-19 cases and two fatalities due to the infection, taking the caseload to 12,22,628 and the death toll to 10,930, the state health department said. A total of 344 patients were discharged during the day which raised the count of recoveries in the state to 12,09,878, a release said. Gujarat is now left with 1,820 active cases. At 61, Ahmedabad district accounted for nearly half of the fresh COVID-19 cases, followed by Vadodara which recorded 18 infections, Surat 11 and Rajkot six. Ahmedabad and Vadodara each reported one death due to COVID-19. (PTI)

Mumbai on Monday reported 73 COVID-19 cases, taking its tally to 10,56,472, while the death toll remained unchanged at 16,691, a civic official said. He said 66 of the 73 cases recorded during the day were asymptomatic. The recovery of 95 people took the number of people discharged so far to 10,36,086, which is 98 per cent of the caseload, leaving the city with 815 active cases, he added. With 12,014 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in the metropolis went up to 1,61,83,906, the official said. (PTI)

The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh reached 10,38,907 on Monday after the detection of 319 new cases at a positivity rate of 0.5 per cent, while the death toll remained unchanged at 10,727, a health department official said. The recovery count stood at 10,24,731 after 721 people were discharged during the day, leaving the state with an active tally of 3,449, he said. Bhopal and Indore, the two worst coronavirus-hit cities of Madhya Pradesh, registered 61 and 13 cases, respectively, during the past 24 hours, the official added. With 60,794 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,78,92,089, the official said. A government release said 11,37,15,183 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 34,669 on Monday. (PTI)

Maharashtra on Monday reported 407 fresh COVID-19 cases and four fatalities due to the infection, taking the tally to 78,65,707 and the toll to 1,43,701, an official said. On Sunday, the state had recorded 782 cases and two fatalities. The Omicron tally in Maharashtra now stands at 4,629, of which 4,456 patients have already been discharged, he added. “Until now, 9,382 samples have been sent for genome sequencing. Of these, results of 8,333 patients have been received, while 1,049 results are awaited,” he informed. As per data made available by the state health department, Mumbai recorded 73 fresh cases and Pune city 45, with both maintaining a clean slate in the fatality segment. (PTI)

Goa on Monday reported 18 COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 2,45,019, while the death toll remained unchanged at 3,801, an official said. So far, 2,40,927 people have been discharged post recovery, including 48 during the day, leaving the state with 271 active cases, he said. With 1,005 samples being examined in the last 24 hours, the number of tests in Goa went up to 18,82,030, he added. (PTI)

Karnataka on Monday registered 268 fresh coronavirus cases and 14 virus-related fatalities, taking the aggregate to 39,41,063 and the toll to 39,950. There were 1,119 discharges, pushing the total number of recoveries in the state to 38,95,452, a Health bulletin said. Of the new cases, 161 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 550 people being discharged and 10 virus-related deaths. The total number of active cases across the state is now 5,623. While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.70 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 5.22 per cent. (PTI)

Himachal Pradesh on Monday recorded 88 new Covid cases, taking the infection tally to 2,83,313 while one more fatality pushed the death toll to 4,102, a health official said. An 85-year-old woman died due to Covid in Kangra. According to the official, 217 more patients recovered from the viral disease, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 2,78,177. (PTI)

Jammu and Kashmir on Monday reported 42 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection tally to 4,52,997 while no death was reported in the last 24 hours, officials said. Of the fresh cases, 22 were from the Jammu division and 20 from the Kashmir division, they said. Jammu district recorded the highest of 11 cases followed by six each in Srinagar and Baramulla districts, they said. There are 682 active cases in the Union Territory, while the number of recovered patients is 4,47,567, officials said. (PTI)

The COVID-19 tally in Nashik in Maharashtra touched 4,75,700 on Monday with the addition of 10 cases, while one death took the toll to 8,895, an official said. So far, 4,66,525 people have been discharged post recovery, including 50 during the day, leaving the district with an active tally of 280, he added. (PTI)

Hong Kong reported a record 34,466 new coronavirus infections on Monday as deaths continued to climb, with health authorities saying a lockdown has not been ruled out even though the city's leader previously said a citywide lockdown was unrealistic. Hong Kong is grappling with a coronavirus surge driven primarily by the omicron variant. Daily cases have more than quadrupled from a week ago, when the city reported over 7,500 infections. “Once every three days the case number will double,” said Albert Au, principal medical and health officer of the city's Centre for Health Protection during a daily virus briefing. (PTI)

Sikkim reported four new COVID-19 cases, two more than the previous day, pushing the tally to 39,068, a health department bulletin said on Monday. East Sikkim district and West Sikkim logged two cases each. The Himalayan state now has 52 active COVID-19 cases, while 38,828 patients have recovered from the disease and 745 have migrated to other states. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 443 as no new fatality was reported in the last 24 hours. (PTI)

Deer may be able to transmit the coronavirus virus to humans, according to preliminary research conducted by Canadian scientists monitoring the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in animals. Until now, researchers had found evidence of humans spreading the virus to deer and the animals then spreading it to other deer. But the new evidence suggests that the virus may be able to spill the other way as well. READ FULL STORY

Kerala on Monday recorded 2,010 fresh COVID-19 infections raising the total caseload to 64,99,214 in the state. The southern state also reported 110 virus-related deaths which raised the total fatalities in Kerala to 65,333, according to a government release. Of the deaths, seven were reported in the last 24 hours, 42 were those which occurred in the last few days but were not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 61 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, the release said. With 5,283 more people recovering from the virus since Sunday, the total recoveries in the state reached 64,06,519 and the active cases dropped to 26,560, the release said. As many as 29,545 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. (PTI)

Tripura for the second consecutive day on Monday did not record any new COVID-19 case, a health department official said. The COVID-19 tally in the state remained at 1,00,860, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Deep Debbarma said. He said more than 500 samples were taken for COVID-19 test on Sunday and Monday out which not a single positive case was found. The northeastern state currently has 27 active COVID-19 cases, while 99,849 patients have recovered from the disease, the SSO said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 916 as no fresh fatality has been reported in the last 24 hours, he said. “It is true there has been no new COVID-19 case in the state during the past two days but it doesn't mean Covid has disappeared. We will have to remain alert…,” he said. (PTI)

Odisha on Monday reported 171 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest single-day count in the last two months, with the tally rising to 12,85,038, a health department bulletin said. – PTI

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which cause COVID-19, originated in animals and spread to humans in late 2019 at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, two new studies suggest. The first study used spatial analysis to show that the earliest known COVID-19 cases, diagnosed in December 2019, were centered on the Wuhan market. The researchers found that environmental samples that tested positive for the virus were strongly associated with the vendors selling live animals. – PTI

Ladakh reported 11 fresh COVID-19 cases – all in Leh – taking the overall caseload in the union territory to 28,003, while the active cases reduced to 166, officials said on Monday. Ladakh has recorded 228 COVID-related deaths – 168 in Leh and 60 in Kargil. No fresh death was reported, they said. Fifty two patients recovered – 44 in Leh and eight in Kargil – and were discharged from hospitals. With these, the total number of recoveries went up to 27,609, they said. A total of 675 sample reports in Ladakh were tested negative, they said. Of the 166 active cases, 159 cases were reported in Leh and the remaining in Kargil, they said. – PTI

Hong Kong reported a record-high 34,466 new infections Monday as deaths continued to climb, with health authorities saying that a lockdown has not been ruled out even though the city's leader last week said that a citywide lockdown was unrealistic. Hong Kong is currently grappling with the fifth wave of the coronavirus, driven primarily by the omicron variant. Monday's more than 34,000 cases have more than quadrupled from a week ago, when the city reported over 7,500 infections. (AP)

A yet-to-be peer-reviewed study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur suggests that the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India may start around June 22 and peak from mid to late August, reported PTI. The study which was recently posted on the preprint repository MedRxiv, found that the possible new wave will last for four months.

Health Ministry revises int'l travel advisory; provides various exemptions for Indians being evacuated from Ukraine Mandatory pre-boarding negative RTPCR test & vaccination certificate exempted for Indians; uploading documents before departure on Air-Suvidha Portal exempted (ANI)

HONG KONG HEALTH AUTHORITIES REPORT 87 COVID-19 DEATHS IN PAST 24 HOURS (Reuters)