Coronavirus Vaccine Registration, Coronavirus Omicron Variant Cases in India Highlights: India reported 6,563 new cases of Covid-19, 132 deaths and 8,077 recoveries in the last 24 hours on Monday morning. The country’s active caseload stands at 82,267 which has been the lowest in 572 days, as per the data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Karnataka’s health minister Dr. Sudhakar K had confirmed five new cases of Omicron variant in the state. “Five new cases of the Omicron variant of COVID19 have been confirmed on December 19 in the State. The five patients are from Dharwad, Bhadravathi, Udupi and Mangaluru,” the minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Karnataka is facing a tough situation as it also recorded 300 fresh coronavirus cases on Sunday. The state’s aggregate Covid-19 cases touched 30,02,427 on the same day.
India’s tally of Omicron cases crossed the 150 mark on Sunday after Maharashtra reported six more cases of the new variant. The state’s Omicron tally has now reached to 54. According to news agency PTI, two of these patients had a history of travel to Tanzania, two others had returned from England and one from the Middle East. All five of these persons are fully vaccinated. Another patient is a five-year-old boy from Junnar in Pune who is a close contact of Dubai travellers from Junnar, PTI reported. Maharashtra also recorded 902 new cases of coronavirus and nine deaths on Sunday which makes it clear that the situation is grim in the state. New agency PTI quoted a state health department release saying that Mumbai city reported 321 new cases and two deaths, taking the metropolis’ tally to 7,67,050 and toll to 16,365.
Even the national capital recorded the highest daily rise in Covid cases on Sunday since June 27. According to the data shared by the city health department, Delhi recorded 107 new coronavirus infections on Sunday. On the other hand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands announced their acheivement of 100 percent double dose Covid vaccination. The administration said it was the first among the states and Union territories to achieve the feat using only Covishield.
Internationally speaking, White House’s top medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci on Sunday said that the Omicron variant is “just raging around the world,” and that US President Joe Biden is planning to give “a stark warning of what the winter will look like” for unvaccinated Americans, news agency PTI reported. The situation in UK seems to be getting worse with more than 10,000 new Omicron cases reported on Sunday. The number of overall Covid-19 infections in the UK stood well above 90,000 cases. Keeping the rapid spread of Omicron variant in the UK, Germany tightened its travel restrictions on people coming from Britain.
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Tamil Nadu reports 605 new COVID-19 cases, 697 recoveries and 6 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 27,40,411
Total recoveries 26,96,553
Death toll 36,686
Active cases 7,172 (ANI)
India is prepared to fight Omicron variant of coronavirus and country's vaccine manufacturing capacity will be increased to 45 crore doses per month in next two months: Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya (PTI)
The Bengaluru civic agency has made COVID-19 tests mandatory in private hospitals for all those coming with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) and Influenza Like Illness (ILI) in Bengaluru.
“All the SARI, ILI patients coming to OPD in private hospitals in BBMP limits should be tested for COVID-19 compulsorily and other patients also could be advised to undergo the same if needed,” the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike quoted Special Commissioner Dr Trilok Chandra as saying in a statement.
Addressing a meeting with Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Association (PHANA) and more than 100 Private Hospitals, he said precautionary measures should be taken to prevent spreading of COVID-19 in the city.
The officer asked the hospitals to make sure that everyone visiting the hospital have been inoculated. If someone has taken only the first dose of the vaccine, the hospitals should make them take the second dose.
Dr Chandra assured the representatives of PHANA that the COVID-19 cases in the city were stable. Yet, as a precautionary measure the private hospitals should be ready to reserve beds for COVID patients including separate pediatric beds.
He also insisted that the information about real time bed availability should be uploaded in PHANA portal. All the necessary measures should be taken to ensure proper availability of oxygen, he told the representatives of PHANA. (PTI)
Gujarat on Monday reported 70 new coronavirus positive cases, taking the tally of infections to 8,28,616, the state health department said.
The COVID-19 death toll rose to 10,102 after a patient succumbed to the viral disease, it said.
A total of 63 patients were discharged during the day, which raised the total number of recoveries in Gujarat to 8,17,937, the department said in a release.
The number of active cases in Gujarat now stands at 577. The condition of eight patients is critical, it said.
A total of 2.21 lakh people were vaccinated against COVID-19 in Gujarat on Monday, raising the total number of administered doses to 8.72 crore so far.
Ahmedabad reported 13 fresh COVID-19 cases, Vadodara 12, Jamnagar 10, Rajkot nine, and Surat eight, the department said.
Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu saw one COVID-19 case and two recoveries. The UT has so far reported 10,663 cases, 10,654 recoveries, five active cases and four deaths, officials said.
Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 8,28, 616, new cases 70, death toll 10,102, discharged 8,17,937, active cases 577, people tested so far – figures not released. (PTI)
CSA wishes to inform all sports lovers that owing to increasing COVID cases around the world & fourth wave locally, the 2 cricketing bodies have taken a joint decision to protect players & the tour by not making tickets available for India vs Proteas offerings. This decision was taken in order to avoid any breaches that could compromise the tour from a Covid-risk perspective and to also maintain a hazard-free bubble environment: Cricket South Africa (ANI)
Many studies have proved that immunity wheels off 6 months after the last COVID-19 vaccination. We need to give boosters especially to those people who didn't get symptomatic delta infection. Children, the weak-links, should be vaccinated soon: Dr. Dhiren Gupta, Sr Consultant-SGRH (ANI)
I've seen 100 patients myself. It's quite transmissible; if I look at Delta, it seems less but it's very transmissible. In South Africa we don't see severe cases, it's mostly mild cases: South African Medical Assn Chairperson Dr Angelique Coetzee, first to detect Omicron, to ANI (ANI)
Maharashtra reports 544 new COVID-19 cases, 515 recoveries and 4 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Active cases 7093
No new Omicron case is reported from the state today. Till date, a total of 54 patients infected with the #omicron variant have been reported in the state. (ANI)
World Economic Forum (WEF) will defer its Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, in the light of continued uncertainty over Omicron outbreak. The Meeting was scheduled to take place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland between 17-21 Jan, 2022. It's now planned for early summer: WEF (ANI)
Gujarat Govt extended night curfew (1 am to 5 am) in 8 major cities till December 31, it says (ANI)
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. Moderna announced the preliminary laboratory data in a press release and it hasn’t yet undergone scientific review. | Read More
Andhra Pradesh on Monday logged 75 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest during the past ten months, taking the cumulative infections to 20,75,879, while the toll rose to 14,480 with one more fatality.
Active cases stood at 1,517, a health department bulletin said providing details of the last 24 hours ending 9 AM today.
As many as 154 people recovered from the disease leaving the total number of recoveries at 20,59,882, the bulletin said.
The lone death was reported in Guntur district.
Over 21,000 samples were tested during the last 24 hours. The total number of samples tested so far is over 3.10 crore.
Chittoor District topped the chart with highest number of active cases with 278 followed by East Godavari (275).
Director Public Health G.Hymavathi told PTI that door to door fever survey began today to ascertain if anyone is suffering with any symptoms and take further action if required.
“About 40,000 Asha Workers with the help of over two lakh volunteers will participate in the survey. If anyone is having any symptoms necessary action will be taken,” the official said. (PTI)
The European Union's regulator gives green light to Novavax, the 5th COVID-19 vaccine for use in the 27-nation bloc. (AP)
Kerala on Monday saw less than 3,000 fresh COVID-19 cases for the second day running with the state reporting 2,230 new infections which took the caseload to 52,07,990. The state also reported 419 deaths which raised the toll to 44,922, a state government release said. | Read More
Bharat Biotech has submitted phase 3 clinical trial application to DCGI for its booster dose of their intranasal Covid vaccine that can be given to Covaxin and Covishield vaccinated people: Source (ANI)
Delhi reports 91 new COVID-19 cases, 100 recoveries and zero deaths in the last 24 hours.
Total cases 14,42,288
Total recoveries 14,16,656
Death toll 25,101
Active cases 531 (ANI)
The UK Cabinet is on Monday holding talks to consider options for tougher lockdown restrictions as the country recorded another daily high of Omicron cases at 12,133. The total number of confirmed Omicron cases in the UK stands at 37,101, taking the overall COVID-19 infections tally to 82,886 on Sunday. A further 45 COVID-related deaths have been reported in people who died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. “I just can't make hard, fast guarantees,” said UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab when asked if tougher lockdown measures are expected. “I think we will have a much better Christmas than last year because of the vaccination level – both the overall vaccination level and particularly the impact of the booster campaign. People will need to be careful and cautious,” he said. According to UK media reports, civil servants have produced three options for ministers to consider as future COVID measures, and they range in severity from stricter guidance on households mixing to early closures of shops and restaurants to limit gatherings. Ministers are yet to decide between the options, with reports that UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak is among those resisting strict lockdown measures at a time when businesses are already struggling to cope with cancellations and staff absences at what is usually a lucrative Christmas period. The government's scientific advisers, however, want more restrictions and have suggested reducing the size of groups that can meet and closing venues where there is a high risk of transmission. There are also fears over staff absences caused by the Omicron surge, with some National Health Service (NHS) trusts already having to postpone non-essential work. It comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains under pressure of his own, with new images published by ‘The Guardian' of what looks like a wine and cheese party in the garden of 10 Downing Street in May 2020 when strict rules were in place on different households mixing. (PTI)
COVID-19 infections in South Africa's coastal provinces have started showing an increase as tens of thousands of people from inner parts of the country swarmed the areas over the weekend for their annual holidays, with analysts warning that the number of cases could rise if coronavirus protocols are not followed. The most popular coastal province, KwaZulu-Natal, which includes the city of Durban, accounted for 27 per cent of the 15,465 new COVID-19 cases identified in the last 24 hours by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). This brings the total number of confirmed cases in South Africa to 3,308,074. The economic hub of Gauteng province, which has been responsible daily for up to 70 per cent of infections since the Omicron variant was first identified in South Africa last month, has moved to the second highest with 23 per cent, while the other popular costal province, Western Cape, is third with 18 per cent. (PTI)
Odisha on Monday reported 186 new COVID-19 cases, seven less than the previous day, with the tally rising to 10,53,020, a health department bulletin said. The death toll rose to 8,445 as a 72-year-old man in Khurda district succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours, it said. Fifty-three other COVID patients have died due to comorbidities so far, the bulletin said. Khurda district registered the highest number of new infections at 94, followed by Cuttack at 18. Thirty-nine children are among the newly infected patients, it said. The state now has 1,821 active cases. At least 258 patients recuperated from the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 10,42,701. The state conducted 54,226 sample tests for COVID-19 on Sunday, and the daily positivity rate was at 0.34 per cent. Over 2.86 crore people have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccines, and nearly 1.87 crore beneficiaries got the second jab in the state. (PTI)
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2021
Israel on Monday imposed travel ban to ten countries, including the US, Canada and Germany by adding them to its “no-fly” list, citing concerns over the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant that has infected 175 people in the country. Acting on health ministry recommendations, Israeli cabinet ministers voted on Monday to put the United States, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey on the no-fly list. “The cabinet ministers have now approved (in a telephone vote) the expansion of the list of red countries, in accordance with the recommendation of the Health Ministry State Classification Committee, pursuant to a discussion that was held on Sunday at the Cabinet meeting”, a statement from the PMO said. “Italy, the USA, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey will be defined as red countries starting tomorrow (Tuesday, December 21, 2021) at midnight (the night between Tuesday and Wednesday), subject to approval by the Knesset Constitution, Justice and Law Committee”, it said. Travel to and from the so-called “red countries” is expressly forbidden, unless permission is granted by a special committee. Those who return from these countries must remain in quarantine for seven days. As per local media reports, 17 people on a flight from Miami on Sunday tested positive for COVID-19, with most of them suspected of carrying the Omicron variant. The Israeli Health Ministry, meanwhile, announced that it has discovered 40 new Omicron cases, taking the total number of cases of the new COVID-19 variant to 175 in the country. (PTI)
Noting that the coronavirus pandemic is not yet over, Army chief General M M Naravane on Monday said the outbreak of COVID-19 has taught everyone many lessons and disaster management in the backdrop of the pandemic is a reality and a major challenge. He also highlighted the importance of global and regional cooperation while tackling any pandemic-like situation. He was speaking at the inauguration of PANEX-21, a trans-national, multi-agency exercise organised in Pune from December 20 to 22 with a focused aim to “foster jointness and develop capabilities in disaster management aspects for the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) nations”. The Army chief said the fact is that the pandemic is not over as new variants have added realism to the conduct of this exercise. The South Asian region is prone to a large range of natural hazards, including floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides, and tsunami, he noted. “Rapidly growing unplanned urbanisation, ecological degradation, and corresponding climate change effects and dynamically varying socio-economic conditions have increased our exposure to various natural hazards,” he said. All have witnessed the rising frequency of disasters with more intense and catastrophic events, he pointed out. “Our response strategies have also evolved, added by rapid improvements in technology have become more robust and resilient. Trans-national cooperation between BIMSTEC nations continues to be driven by common and shared challenges,” he said. The pandemic has overwhelmed the national capacity, disrupted the supply chain, and brought everyone back to the drawing board, he said. “Disaster management in the backdrop of the pandemic, is a reality and a major challenge and this also forms a basic theme of PANEX-21,” he said. The earlier exercise was conducted in February 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, General Naravane said. “A lot has changed since then. The devastating effects of the pandemic have been witnessed and acknowledged by the world. We have realised that our standard operating procedures which worked well in the past are no longer active and we would need transformative changes,” he said. It was realised that resource preservation in the times of pandemic is as challenging as an application for disaster management, the Army chief said. He said it has become incumbent for the response teams to first protect themselves before being able to assess others. “We have also come to accept that no single agency has the capability or capacity to handle the challenge on their own. Not only that, such has been the strain on the resources that even well-developed countries with modern infrastructure have looked beyond for aid and assistance,” he said. (PTI)
Tougher contact restrictions and an accelerated booster campaign are among measures being considered by German leaders ahead of a meeting on Tuesday aimed at softening the blow of a fifth wave of coronavirus infections. The government's scientific advisory panel said in a statement on Sunday it was necessary to further limit contact, with data so far showing that boosters alone would not be enough to contain the spread of the virus. The state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state, Hendrik Wuest, did not rule out contact restrictions on people who have been fully vaccinated or had a booster shot. (Reuters)
The Irish government does not expect to have to impose stricter COVID-19 restrictions in the coming weeks, deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar said on Monday, days after the government ordered bars and restaurants to close at 8 p.m. “If we have to, we will do whatever is necessary … but we don't anticipate that will be necessary,” Varadkar told Irish broadcaster RTE. He said he was “hoping and expecting” that expected high infection rates from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus would not translate into hospitalisations to the same extent as previous waves. (Reuters)
Twelve people in Britain have died with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Monday, refusing to rule out a tightening of social restrictions before Christmas. Britain has reported record levels of COVID-19 cases, with officials and ministers warning that the full effects of the latest wave are still yet to be seen. Omicron, first detected last month in southern Africa and Hong Kong, has raced around the globe and so far been reported in at least 89 countries. It is known to be very transmissible, but the severity of illness it causes remains unclear. In addition to the 12 deaths, Raab said 104 people were currently in hospital with Omicron. Officials warned last week that hospitalisations could hit new highs as the effects of the latest surge work their way through the population. Asked whether the government would impose further restrictions before Christmas, Raab told Times Radio: “I just can't make hard and fast guarantees.” “In assessing the situation we rely very heavily on the real data coming through and it will take a little bit more time to assess this critical issue of the severity of Omicron.” Any decision to limit how people can celebrate Christmas would come at a high political cost for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose authority has been undermined by questions over whether he and his staff broke lockdown rules last year. Johnson also suffered a huge rebellion in parliament last week as lawmakers from his own party pushed back hard against a tightening of COVID-19 rules. To pass the new rules, which included ordering people to wear masks in public places, Johnson had to rely on the support of the main opposition Labour Party. (Reuters)
RUSSIA REPORTS 27,022 NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES IN PAST 24 HOURS (Reuters)
The union territory of Puducherry logged 10 fresh coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours taking the overall tally to 1,29,325, a senior official of the Department of Health said on Monday. No fresh fatalities were reported from the union territory in the last 24 hours ending 10 AM Monday as the death toll remained at 1,880, Director of the Health Department G Sriramulu said in a release here. The 10 fresh cases were identified at the end of the examination of 831 samples and were spread over Puducherry and Karaikal regions (four each) and Mahe (two cases). Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh did not report any infection, he said. The number of active cases stood at 129 with 32 patients underdoing treatment in hospitals and the remaining 97 in home isolation. The Health department Director said as many as 32 patients recovered and were discharged during the last 24 hours while the total recoveries climbed to 1,27,316. Sriramulu said the department has so far tested 20,27,046 specimens and has found 17,17,718 out of them to be negative. The test positivity rate stood at 1.20 per cent while the fatality and recovery rates were 1.45 per cent and 98.45 per cent respectively, the Director said. The Health department has so far administered 13,45,193 doses which comprised 8,14,7148 first doses and 5,30,445 were second doses. (PTI)
