Commuters board a crowded bus in Mumbai. Maharashtra has so far reported 252 of the 961 Omicron cases in India. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)Coronavirus Omicron Cases and Deaths in India Today Live: Stating that India reported over 10,000 daily Covid cases after 33 days, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday said there is a need for heightened vigil among the people of the country.
Briefing the media, Union Health Ministry Joint Secretary Luv Aggarwal also said on an average, India reported more than 8,000 cases per day last week. Overall case positivity rate stands at 0.92%, he said, adding that weekly positivity rate is over 10 per cent in eight districts while it is 5-10% in 14 districts. India’s R naught value, which indicates spread of Covid-19, is 1.22 so cases are increasing, not shrinking, the ministry said.
People with no travel history have been infected for the Omicron Covid variant and this means it is gradually spreading in the community, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said Thursday. Jain also said that 46 of 115 samples sequenced in the national capital so far had tested positive for the new strain. Delhi has reported the maximum number of Omicron cases so far — 263.
India reported 13,154 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The active cases stand at 82,402 cases, while the death toll has climbed to 4,80,860.
The Omicron case tally has risen to 961 as of Thursday, with 263 cases in Delhi and 252 in Maharashtra. Of the 961 cases, 320 Omicron cases have recovered or been discharged.
Maharashtra was among several states which reported a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases on Wednesday. Delhi reported 923 fresh cases, which marked a steep rise from the 496 detected a day earlier. The positivity rate also jumped up to 1.29%. Among other cities, Mumbai registered a huge spike, recording 2,510 cases. Moreover, 400 infections were detected in Bengaluru, 540 in Kolkata and 294 in Chennai.
Meanwhile, Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia INSACOG said that there is now clear experimental and clinical data supporting very high immune escape potential of Omicron, but initial estimates show the severity of illness being lower than what was seen in previous outbreaks, the said in its latest bulletin citing global data.
Crowded Central line platform at Dadar Station on Tuesday evening.(Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
The government on Thursday said that Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka and Gujarat are emerging as states and UTs of concern on the basis of weekly Covid-19 cases and positivity rate.
It said that eight districts are reporting over 10 per cent weekly positivity, while 14 districts are reporting between 5-10 per cent positivity.India’s R naught value, which indicates spread of Covid-19, is 1.22 so cases are increasing, not shrinking, the government said.
The country has reported more than 10,000 daily new Covid-19 cases after 33 days, it said stressing that there is a need for heightened vigil in view of sharp increase in infections. --PTI
Precautionary dose of Covid-19 vaccine is primarily to mitigate severity of infection, hospitalisation, death: Govt
India's R naught value, which indicates spread of COVID-19, is 1.22 so cases are increasing, not shrinking: Govt
"There are 961 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus in India, out of which 320 patients have recovered," said Luv Aggarwal.
"The weekly positivity rate of more than 10% is being noted in 8 districts including 6 districts from Mizoram, one from Arunachal Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal. The weekly case positivity rate is between 5-10% in 14 districts," Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, Luv Aggarwal said.
Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, Luv Aggarwal in a media briefing Thursday said on an average, India reported more than 8,000 cases per day last week. Overall case positivity rate stands at 0.92%. From Dec 26 onwards, the country has been reporting 10,000 daily cases.
From curfews to restrictions on movements, state governments have become cautious with New Year’s Eve celebrations around the corner. As Covid-19 cases rise across the country, states have imposed several measures in view of the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
India, on Wednesday, reported 13,154 new coronavirus cases. The active cases currently stand at 82,402, while the death toll has climbed to 4,80,860. The Omicron case tally has also risen to 961, with 263 cases in Delhi and 252 in Maharashtra.
We take a look at the measures imposed by states on New Year celebrations here
Being infected with Omicron may enhance immunity against the Delta variant of coronavirus, suggests a small study by researchers in South Africa. The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, was first identified in November this year in South Africa and Botswana. The variant has been shown to be highly transmissible and have extensive evasion of neutralising antibody immunity elicited by vaccination and previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Infections from the variant are rapidly expanding worldwide. --PTI
In the wake of emergence of the new 'Omicron' variant of COVID-19, the Mumbai Police have prohibited New Year celebrations and gatherings in any closed or open space, including hotels and restaurants, an official told PTI.
The order will be in force from Thursday till January 7, 2022, the official said. The police order prohibits all New Year celebrations, programmes, functions and gatherings in any closed or open space, including hotels, restaurants, bars, resorts and clubs.
A woman, who was vaccinated four times in different countries, tested positive for COVID-19 at the Indore airport. The woman had tested negative a day ago and is asymptomatic, Indore CMHO Dr Bhure Singh Setia told ANI.
Warning that the Omicron variant is spreading gradually in the community, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said that people with no travel history have also been infected with the variant.
'Omicron variant has been found in 46 percent of 115 samples sequenced so far in Delhi,' he added.
The Delhi Traffic Police Thursday said it has made elaborate traffic arrangements to ensure smooth vehicular movement on the eve of New Year, particularly in and around commercial hubs such as Connaught Place.
“Strict compliance of the latest orders of Delhi Disaster Management Authority will be implemented and following restrictions will be imposed from 8 pm on December 31 in the vicinity of Connaught Place till the conclusion of New Year celebrations. It will be applicable to all private and public transport vehicles,” said JCP (traffic) Vivek Kishore.
“No vehicle will be allowed to proceed towards Connaught Place beyond Roundabout Mandi House, Roundabout Bengali Market, North foot of Ranjit Singh Flyover (Barakhamba Road- Tolstoy Marg Crossing, Minto Road, Deen Dayal Upadhaya Marg crossing, Chelmsford Road near Munje Chowk (New Delhi Railway Station) among other such roads, he said, adding only those with valid pre-reserved booking receipts from hotels and restaurants will be allowed,” he added.
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There was a spike in the daily number of Covid-19 cases in the Pune district on Wednesday as 404 cases were reported compared to 282 on the previous day.
As many as 229 patients recovered from the virus on the day while two people, one from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and another from Cantonment, lost their lives.
Out of these new Covid cases, 11 belonged to the new covid variant Omicron. Area-wise, six came from the PCMC, four from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and one from Pune rural. In terms of area-wise distribution of the 404 new covid cases, PMC reported 232 patients followed by the PCMC (83), Pune rural (72), Councils (NP) (12) and Cantonment (5).
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Delhi added 25 cases to its tally of the new heavily-mutated omicron variant on Thursday, staying ahead of Maharashtra for the second day in a row. The capital has recorded 263 cases of omicron variant since it was first detected in the country in early December, which is the highest in the country.
The increasing number of omicron cases could be the reason behind the sudden surge in the number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the city. The Indian Express reported that with state surveillance teams not finding any history of international travel or contact with an international traveller for nearly 60 cases, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority has accepted the possibility of new variant already circulating in the community.
The yellow alert under the Covid Graded Response Action Plan has been implemented. A night curfew between 10 pm and 5 am is in place, shops are opening in the odd-even mode in markets and malls, and movement in public transport is restricted too.
China's Zero-COVID-19 case policy is increasingly coming under stress as the country is reporting a spike in the number of coronavirus infections from different provinces ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games with over 2,500 people undergoing treatment.
China's National Health Commission said on Thursday that 207 COVID-19 cases, including 156 new locally transmitted ones and 51 imported were reported on Wednesday. It said 2,563 patients still receiving treatment, of whom 15 were in severe conditions.
Chinese officials reported a case of Omicron on December 13 in Tianjin city followed by a few more cases. However, there is not much information about its spread in the country.
The health officials also reported an outbreak of Delta strain sub-lineage AY.4 in Zhejiang province in the middle of the month which was reportedly brought under control. (PTI)
Experts in Singapore, which is seeing a surge in Omicron cases, have warned that the new and supposedly more contagious variant is likely to replace Delta over the coming weeks as the dominant global variant, with the virus being fitter and having a reproductive advantage.
While Delta is still the most common variant in all continents except Africa, Omicron is spreading very quickly, said Dr Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, executive director of the state-owned Agency for Science, Technology and Research's Bioinformatics Institute.
The new variant was first detected in South Africa on November 11, and then in Botswana and Hong Kong, before it rippled across more than 110 countries, as at last weekend. (PTI)
Of the 961 cases of the Omicron variant reported so far, Delhi recorded the maximum number of 263 cases, followed by Maharashtra at 252, Gujarat 97, Rajasthan 69, Kerala 65 and Telangana 62.
Cases of the new variant have been found in 22 states and Union Territories.
The daily rise in COVID-19 cases crossed 13,000 mark after around 49 days. A total of 13,091 new coronavirus infections were reported in a span of 24 hours on November 11.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 63 days now.
The active cases comrpise 0.24 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.38 per cent.
India reported 13,154 new COVID-19 cases and 268 fatalities in the last 24 hours. The active cases stand at 82,402 cases, while the death toll has climbed to 4,80,860.
India's tally of COVID-19 cases now stands at 3,48,22,040.The Omicron case tally has risen to 961, with 263 cases in Delhi and 252 in Maharashtra. Of the 961 cases, 320 Omicron cases have recovered or been discharged.
Punjab has reported its first Omicron case with a 36-year-old man, who came from Spain earlier this month, testing positive for the new variant of coronavirus. Meanwhile, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister O P Soni said the current Covid situation in the state does not warrant a night curfew.
A health official said the man, who arrived in India from Spain on December 4, visited his relatives in Nawanshahr in Punjab. The man tested negative for coronavirus upon his arrival. However, he tested positive on December 12, he said. He was then admitted to a hospital and his samples were sent for genome sequencing at a facility set up at the Government Medical College, Patiala, the official added.
"The genome sequencing report declaring him positive for the Omicron variant came on December 28," said Dr Rajiv Bhaskar, state nodal officer for COVID-19. (PTI)