Coronavirus Vaccine Registration, Coronavirus Omicron Variant Cases in India Highlights: Delhi on Thursday achieved the milestone of administering at least one dose of Covid vaccine to all above 18, according to government data.
According to the CoWIN dashboard, 1,48,27,546 people in the capital have taken at least one dose of Covid-109 vaccine by 8 pm on Thursday. As per the draft roll published on November 1, 2021, the total number of electors in Delhi stands at 1,47,95,949.
Over 2,53,37,557 doses have been administered in the city since the inoculation exercise started on January 16. As many as 1,05,10,011 people have received both the doses. Over 1.22 lakh people were vaccinated against coronavirus in Delhi on Thursday.
PM Modi holds Covid review meeting
As India witnesses a silent surge in the Omicron cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a critical meeting over the preparedness and other measures.
Delhi has emerged as the region with most numbers of confirmed Omicron cases. health experts have been advocating for the need of booster jabs in India but no such measure has been announced so far.
Here are the latest Covid updates from India and around the globe
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation in the country on Thursday evening amid rising concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Official sources said Modi took stock of the pandemic situation across the country in a high-level meeting attended by senior officials and experts.
India has recorded 236 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus across 16 states and Union Territories (UTs) so far, out of which 104 people have recovered or migrated, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Thursday.
In a communication to the states and UTs on Tuesday, the Centre said the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is at least thrice more transmissible than its Delta variant and asked them to "activate" war rooms, keep analysing even small trends and surges and keep taking strict and prompt containment action at the district and local levels.
There have been demands that the government allow booster doses of vaccines to be administered to those already fully inoculated against COVID-19, as has been done by many countries. (PTI)
Mumbai reports 602 new COVID-19 cases, 207 recoveries and one death in the last 24 hours. (ANI)
Gujarat reports 7 more cases of Omicron Variant of coronavirus, taking total cases of the variant in the state to 30, out of which 25 cases are active (ANI)
Telangana logs 177 new COVID-19 cases, one fatality. Infection tally rises to 6,80,251, death toll 4,018. Number of active cases stands at 3,596. (PTI)
Maharashtra | In view of rising numbers of COVID19 and Omicron cases, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will hold a meeting with the COVID19 Task Force today at 10 pm via video conferencing: Public Relations Room (Chief Minister's Secretariat) (ANI)
COVID-19 | Delhi reports 118 positive cases, one death and 57 recoveries in the last 24 hours. Active cases 684 Total positive cases 14,42,633 Total Deaths 25,103 (ANI)
Tamil Nadu reports 607 COVID-19 cases, 8 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 27,42,224, death toll 36,707. There are 6,889 active cases in the state at present. (PTI)
Maharashtra reports 1,179 new COVID-19 cases, 615 recoveries and 17 deaths in the last 24 hours.
23 more patients have been found to be infected by Omicron. Till date, a total of 88 patients infected with the #omicron variant have been reported in the state (ANI)
Delhi on Thursday achieved the milestone of administering at least one dose of Covid vaccine to all above 18, according to government data.
According to the CoWIN dashboard, 1,48,27,546 people in the capital have taken at least one dose of Covid-109 vaccine by 8 pm on Thursday.
As per the draft roll published on November 1, 2021, the total number of electors in Delhi stands at 1,47,95,949.
Over 2,53,37,557 doses have been administered in the city since the inoculation exercise started on January 16. As many as 1,05,10,011 people have received both the doses.
Over 1.22 lakh people were vaccinated against coronavirus in Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)
Jammu and Kashmir reports 132 COVID-19 cases, three fatalities. Infection tally rises to 3,40,293, death toll 4,518. There are 1,319 active cases in the union territory. (PTI)
US health regulators on Thursday authorized the second pill against COVID-19, providing another easy-to-use medication to battle the rising tide of omicron infections.
The Food and Drug Administration authorization comes one day after the agency cleared a competing drug from Pfizer. That pill is likely to become the first-choice treatment against the virus, thanks to its superior benefits and milder side effects. | Read More
Tamil Nadu reports 607 COVID-19 cases, 8 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 27,42,224, death toll 36,707. There are 6,889 active cases in the state at present. (PTI)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized Merck & Co's antiviral pill for COVID-19, after giving the go-ahead to a similar treatment from Pfizer Inc. a day earlier.
Merck's drug, molnupiravir, developed with Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, was shown to reduce hospitalizations and deaths by around 30% in a clinical trial of high-risk individuals early in the course of the illness. The agency authorized the oral drug for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at risk for severe disease. (Reuters)
The Delhi government's Covid helpline ‘1031' is capable of handling around 1,200 calls per day with the current manpower of 25 people, according to an official data.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday reviewed the pandemic situation and the Omicron threat in the city in a meeting with his ministers and senior officers.
According to the data, the Covid helpline number (1031), which is operational 24x7, is manned by 25 executives who are distributed in three shifts and handle an average of 600-700 calls per day.
The data specified that about 1,000 to 1,200 calls per day can be handled with the current manpower.
At present, six phone lines are active in this regard which are sufficient for handling any sudden spurt in the number of calls, it cited.
The data stated that the call centre can scale up the manpower as well as the number of phone lines within two-three days of intimation, as and when warranted.
According to the officials, the call centre provides information assistance on testing, hospital bed availability, home isolation, oxygen concentrator or cylinder, ambulance, oximeter, medicine kit, vaccination, welfare measures among others.
In addition, it also provides tele-consultation services, they said.
In view of the rising Covid cases and Omicron threat, Kejriwal earlier said the Delhi government will increase daily test capacity to three lakh and strengthen home isolation module to handle one lakh positive cases each day.
The total number of Omicron cases in the national capital mounted to 57, according to the data shared by the Union health ministry on Wednesday.
At least, 18 Omicron patients have been discharged.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had on Wednesday directed district magistrates to ensure no Christmas and New Year gatherings take place in the national capital.
However, restaurants and bars will continue to operate with up to 50 per cent of the seating capacity.
Marriage-related gatherings are permitted with a maximum of 200 people in attendance. (PTI)
In view of COVID19 cases, Madhya Pradesh govt imposes night curfew (11 pm to 5 am) from today till further orders: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (ANI)
Telangana logs 177 new COVID-19 cases, one fatality. Infection tally rises to 6,80,251, death toll 4,018. Number of active cases stands at 3,596. (PTI)
Biocon Biologics, an arm of biotechnology major Biocon, on Thursday said the clinical study for its biologic drug Itolizumab for the possible indication in autoimmune disease Lupus Nephritis has been initiated in India after approval from the Drugs Controller General of India.
Biocon’s partner US-based Equillium Inc has expanded its ‘EQUALISE’ study in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Lupus Nephritis for Itolizumab to clinical centers in India, Biocon Ltd said in a regulatory filing. | Read More
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has raised queries and sought more data from Serum Institute of India over its application seeking emergency authorisation for Covid vaccine Covovax, official sources said on Thursday.
Serum Institute of India (SII) had sent an application to the DCGI in October for the grant of market authorisation of Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations. | Read More
Andhra Pradesh reports 135 COVID-19 cases, 3 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 20,76,212, death toll 14,486. Number of active cases stands at 1,326. (PTI)
The Indian hospitality industry, battered by the pandemic, is on alert mode but not panicking yet in the face of the Omicron variant threatening to derail prospects of winter holiday season business, according to industry players. With states imposing restrictions on gatherings for Christmas and New Year celebrations, hoteliers and restaurant operators are, however, staring at possible booking cancellations even as they hope for some support from the government like what the UK government has done for the industry there.
Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) Consulting CEO Aashish Gupta said there is uncertainty within the industry about the impact of the Omicron variant with different inputs coming in from different places regarding its severity and speed of spread. | Read More
The Centre on Thursday advised states slated to hold Assembly polls in the next few months to ramp up Covid vaccination exponentially to protect the vulnerable population given the steady rise in cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in India.
Pockets with low vaccination coverage and those with low COVID-19 exposure may be more vulnerable to the new Omicron variant, it said and urged states to accord special attention to ramp up inoculation in these pockets. | Read More
The Centre has spent Rs 19,675 crore to procure COVID-19 vaccines for free of cost supply to states and Union territories, according to government data.
The government had earmarked Rs 35,000 crore in the Union Budget 2021-2022 for COVID-19 vaccination.
“It is informed that an expenditure of Rs 19,675.46 crore has been incurred for procurement of COVID-19 vaccines for free of cost supplies to states and Union territories by December 20,” read a reply to an RTI application filed by social activist Amit Gupta. | Read More
Fresh COVID-19 cases in Kerala again dropped below the 3,000 mark with the state on Thursday reporting 2,514 new infections which took the caseload to 52,16,457.
The southern state had reported 3,205 fresh cases on Wednesday prior to which it had logged less than 3,000 new infections for three consecutive days.
On Thursday, the state also reported 323 deaths which raised the toll to 45,861, a government release said.
Of the 323 deaths, 54 were recorded over the last few days and 269 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 3,427 more people recovering from the virus since Wednesday, the total recoveries reached 51,55,142 and the active cases dropped to 26,605.
As many as 55,631 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
Among the 14 districts, Thiruvananthapuram recorded the highest with 458 fresh cases, followed by Ernakulam (369) and Kozhikode (305).
Of the new cases, 18 were health workers, 18 from outside the State and 2,340 infected through contact with the source of it not being clear in 138.
There are currently 1,31,345 people under surveillance in various districts, of whom 1,27,397 are in home or institutional quarantine and 3,948 in hospitals, the release said. (PTI)
Centre advises states slated to hold Assembly polls in next few months to ramp up Covid vaccination exponentially in view of steady rise in cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus in India. (PTI)
Five more cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus were detected in Kerala on Thursday, taking the total number of infected to 29, state Health Minister Veena George said. As many as four people, who have reached Ernakulam, and a native of Kozhikode district have been detected with the virus. Two persons, aged 28 and 24 who arrived from the United Kingdom, a 35-year-old person who came from Albania and another one from Nigeria were those found infected in Ernakulam, she said in a statement. PTI
Karnataka on Thursday reported 12 new cases of Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, taking its tally in the state to 31, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said. Seven of them are female, including two girls aged nine and 11 years old. Among the Bengaluru cases, five had a travel history to the United Kingdom and one each had come from Denmark and Nigeria. - PTI