Covid-19 Omicron Variant Live Updates: Delhi CM to address media on Covid-19 situation amid rising number of infections

Seven Monaco players have tested positive for the coronavirus, the club said Saturday on the eve of its French Cup game. The match at second-tier Quevilly-Rouen is still set to go ahead on Sunday. Monaco said none of the seven players show any worrying signs and are isolating. There are 12 other French Cup games scheduled for Sunday, with title-holder Paris Saint-Germain in action on Monday night at third-tier Vannes. (AP)

Bollywood actor Mrunal Thakur on Saturday said she has tested positive for coronavirus and has isolated herself. The 29-year-old actor shared the news of her COVID-19 diagnosis on her Instagram Stories, saying that she currently has “mild symptoms”. “I have tested positive for Covid-19. As of today, I have mild symptoms but I'm feeling ok and have isolated myself. I am following the protocol given by my doctor and health professionals,” she wrote. Thakur also urged all those who came in contact with her to get themselves tested. “If you have been in contact with me, request you to please get tested immediately. Stay safe everyone,” she said. On the work front, Thakur is awaiting the release of Shahid Kapoor-starrer “Jersey”, which was set to release on December 31 but got postponed due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Starring Shahid Kapoor in the lead, the sports drama is a remake of Telugu movie by the same name. Besides “Jersey”, she has a slew of films in the pipeline including war-drama “Pippa” and the Hindi remake of the Tamil movie “Thadam”. She will also star in Umesh Shukla-directed family entertainer “Aankh Micholi” and a thriller movie, tentatively titled “Gumrah”. On Friday, Maharashtra reported 8,067 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths, according to the health department. (PTI)

The deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc in Delhi early last year, snuffing out many lives, burdening hospitals and doctors beyond their capacities even as the vaccination exercise injected some degree of confidence in a bid to bring life back on track. However, just when the country and the capital city may have thought that they had put their worst behind them, fear of an imminent third wave now looms large with a surge in new infections of Covid, and cases of the new Omicron variant of the virus, which is highly transmissible, might derail the recovery made in the last few months. India has recorded over 1,400 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus so far, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday. Maharashtra has recorded the maximum number of 454 Omicron cases followed by Delhi (351), Kerala (118) and Gujarat (115). About 38 per cent of the total samples analysed at various genome sequencing laboratories in Delhi from December 21-28, have been detected with Omicron variant, according to official documents. Of the 468 samples analysed during this period, the Delta variant of coronavirus has been detected in 31 per cent of these samples, and rest 30 per cent constituted other variants, according to the documents. The second wave had begun from April, 2021 and following a massive spike in cases, lockdown was imposed in the national capital to curb the spread of infection with Delta variant being dreaded more then. Daily cases jumped into the range of several thousands as the wave took a more brutal turn with each passing day. On April 1, the cumulative death toll due to coronavirus infection in Delhi had stood at 11,036, which more than doubled to 24,299 by June 1, according to official data. Since April 19, both daily cases and single-day deaths count had spiralled up, with over 28,000 cases and 277 deaths recorded on April 20; rising to 306 fatalities on April 22. On May 3, the city registered a record 448 deaths, according to official figures. And now with daily cases count registering a huge spike in the past few days, and positivity rate rising faster, the government has again brought in restrictions under the 'yellow alert' category of its graded response action plan. (PTI)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday sought people's cooperation to entirely eliminate the pandemic and informed that his government will soon roll-out a COVID-19 vaccination drive targetting the 15 – 18 years age group. Utilising the New Year's day to make a fervent appeal to the people of the State to resort to COVID appropriate behaviour and strictly adhere to the government instructions besides follow SOPs on preventing Coronavirus and its variants, the Chief Minister said his government's efforts were all oriented towards ensuring a safe and healthy life for the people. “It is the expectation of all of us that this year 2022 be very good and in order to be good we should not forget past lessons,” Stalin said in a video message to the people. “We have recovered from the first and second wave of Coronavirus infection and in fact I took up the reins as Chief Minister and also the responsibility for your well-being when the pandemic was at its peak during the second wave,” the Chief Minister said. His first task as the CM was to contain the second wave and his ministerial colleagues, officials and staff of various departments including health and family welfare and civic bodies and police stood by him in his efforts. “My government was able to contain the pandemic in a short span of time and cooperation from the public was a major factor,” Stalin said in the message. People's belief in science and their enthusiasm in getting vaccinated against COVID-19 led to massive awareness causing the number of those getting inoculated to swell. “This helped to contain Coronavirus and its fatalities to a great extent. I look forward to the same cooperation from you this New Year in combating the Coronavirus and its variants including the fast spreading Omicron,” he urged. Pointing out that the present situation required more precaution, Stalin said while his government is taking all necessary steps including ramping up testing to contain Omicron besides ensuring hassle-free availability of oxygen, beds and medicines, the people should follow COVID appropriate behaviour. “We need your cooperation. Avoid crowding, wear face masks, sanitise your hands frequently, maintain social distancing and strictly follow government instructions on preventing the spread of COVID-19,” he appealed. Also, he urged those who have not been vaccinated to avail the shots. “I earnestly request you not only as Chief Minister but also as your dear brother, as one of you, to strictly follow the guidelines laid down by the government. I wish you all a Happy New Year once again and wish you all a safe and prosperous New Year,” the Chief Minister said. (PTI)

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday said whether further Covid-related restrictions need to be imposed in the national capital will be reviewed as hospital admissions are less, despite a rapid rise in coronavirus cases. According to data shared by the health department on Friday, Delhi reported 1,796 coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 2.44 per cent and zero death. “The virus is spreading fast. But the good part is that there are no serious cases. Be it any variant, Omicron or Delta, the way it can be prevented and treated remains the same. People should step out whenever necessary and wear a mask,” Jain told reporters. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) had on Wednesday decided that Covid-related restrictions imposed in Delhi under the ‘yellow alert' would continue for the time being and authorities would monitor the situation for a while before deciding on fresh curbs. “We have put the restrictions in place. In other states, only night curfew has been imposed. But in Delhi, we have shut down schools, multiplexes, etc. In April and May when the second (Covid) wave had hit Delhi, a large chunk of people were getting admitted. But currently the hospitalisations are less. Further restrictions will be reviewed,” Jain said. On Tuesday, the DDMA had declared a ‘yellow alert' under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in the city amid a spike in cases following the emergence of the Omicron variant. The alert entails restrictions like night curfew, closure of schools and colleges, opening of shops selling non-essential items on an odd-even basis and halved seating capacity in Metro trains and buses, among other things. The GRAP is based on positivity rate (on two consecutive days), cumulative number of new cases (over a week) and average oxygenated-bed occupancy (for a week) for designated four levels of alerts. After the ‘yellow alert', further restrictions are imposed at advanced stages of ‘amber', ‘orange' and ‘red' with a higher number of new cases and hospitalisations. Earlier this week, Jain had said that Omicron is gradually spreading in the community and the new, fast-spreading variant of concern has been found in 54 per cent of the latest samples analysed in Delhi. (PTI)

RUSSIA REPORTS 19,751 NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES IN PAST 24 HOURS (Reuters)

➡️ More than 151.70 Cr vaccine doses provided to States/UTs.

➡️ More than 19.52 Cr doses still available with States/UTs to be administered.https://t.co/8yV6ebCZrTpic.twitter.com/g3UUbBG9QO

— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) January 1, 2022

Over 90 residents of a village in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch district got their heads tonsured and held a mass feast at a temple to thank the deity for ensuring “zero fatality” due to COVID-19 in their village in the year 2021. The ritual was held on Friday to fulfil the vow taken by villagers at the Devnarayan temple when the pandemic was at its peak, a resident said. Villagers, including women, took out a procession in Devri Khawasa village in the Neemuch district, around 400 km away from Bhopal. They danced to the tune of religious songs while holding religious flags in their hands. “About 25-30 villagers were infected when the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak. At that time, people had taken a 'Mannat' (vow) in the ancient temple of Devnarayan ji to tonsure their heads and hold a 'bhandara' (mass feast) if no fatality is reported due to the pandemic in 2021,” Ambalal Patidar, a villager, told reporters. Another resident Amit Gurjar said that in a bid to thank the deity, 90 villagers shaved their heads and organised a feast. “We thanked the deity as no death due to COVID-19 was reported in our village with a population of 2,500 even though some of the infected villagers were critically ill,” he claimed. (PTI)

China ended its final week of 2021 with its biggest tally of local coronavirus cases for any seven-day period since subduing the country's first epidemic nearly two years ago, despite an arsenal of some of the world's toughest COVID-19 measures. The National Health Commission reported on Saturday 175 new community infections with confirmed clinical symptoms for Dec. 31, bringing the total number of local symptomatic cases in mainland China in the past week to 1,151. The surge has been driven mostly by an outbreak in the northwestern industrial and tech hub of Xian, a city of 13 million. The deepening outbreak in Xian will likely firm authorities' resolve to curb transmissions quickly as and when cases emerge. The city, under lockdown for 10 days as of Saturday, has reported 1,451 local symptomatic cases since Dec. 9, the highest tally for any Chinese city in 2021. While China's case count is tiny compared to many outbreaks elsewhere in the world, forestalling major flare-ups in 2022 will be important. Beijing will be hosting the Winter Olympic Games in February, and the ruling Communist Party will hold a once-every-five-years congress, expected in the fall, where President Xi Jinping will likely secure a third term as party secretary. The emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant will also drive Beijing to stick to its high vigilance against the virus. China has reported a handful of imported Omicron cases and at least one locally transmitted case. Since August, China has tried to get any outbreak under control within about two weeks, much shorter than the four to six weeks in earlier battles against sporadic flare-ups following the initial nationwide epidemic, according to the National Health Commission. Cities along China's borders are at higher virus risk, either due to the presence of overland transport links or entry of infected travellers from other countries. Some were hit by Delta outbreaks that resulted in harsh travel curbs last year. Yunnan, which shares a border with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, reported new local symptomatic cases on 92 out of 365 days last year, or 25% of the time, more often than any other province, autonomous region or municipality. (Reuters)

Puducherry recorded 22 fresh cases of coronavirus during the last 24 hours ending 9 AM on Saturday taking the total positives to 1,29,500. The 22 fresh cases identified at the end of examination of 2,086 samples were spread over Puducherry 12, Karaikal 8 and Mahe 2. The active cases were 136 and of them 33 were in hospitals while remaining 103 in home isolation, Director of Health G Sriramulu said in a release. No fresh fatality was reported in the last twenty-four hours in any of the four regions of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam and the toll remained 1,881. The Department of Health has tested so far 20,50,045 samples and has found 17,39,022 out of them to be negative. The Director said the test positivity rate was 1.05 percent while the fatality and recovery rates were 1.45 percent and 98.44 percent respectively. While 13 patients recovered and were discharged during last twenty-four hours the overall recoveries were 1,27,483. The Department of Health has administered 13,96,798 doses which comprised 8,35,775 first doses and remaining 5,61,023 second doses. (PTI)

Thousands of flights within the United States and internationally were delayed or canceled on Friday, adding to the travel disruptions during the holiday week due to adverse weather and rising cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant. (Reuters)

For the second year in a row, the New Year eve celebrations remained muted in Mumbai in view of the order prohibiting public gatherings at popular places amid the rise in new COVID-19 cases. Mumbaikars' favourite destinations like the Gateway of India, Marine Drive and seafronts at Dadar, Girgaon and Juhu wore almost a deserted look as police personnel deployed at these places and on streets ensured that the prohibitory order was implemented strictly, an official said on Saturday. Police personnel were seen asking people to vacate these spots through the public announcement system before the 5 PM deadline on Friday. “This is an appreciation post for you Mumbai. These deserted and silent streets speak volumes about your concern for the city and its safety. What a perfect welcome to 2022,” Mumbai Police tweeted on Friday night. Due to the curbs, citizens preferred to ring in the New Year with families and friends at hotels, restaurants, and in some cases, on terraces of their housing societies. Nakabandis or checking of vehicles was conducted at 134 spots by the police. Vehicles were checked and senior police officers patrolled streets, the official added. From Friday night till the early Saturday morning, Traffic Police personnel took blood samples of motorists to check drunk driving and filed cases. Similarly, cases were filed for rash driving, he said. The Bandra-Worli sea link, BMC building, CSMT station etc were illuminated with lights to welcome the New Year. No lighting was done on the state secretariat. Mumbai Police on Friday issued an order prohibiting people from visiting beaches, open grounds, sea faces, promenades, gardens, parks or similar public places between 5 pm and 5 am daily till January 15 in view of the prevailing coronavirus situation and the emergence of the Omicron variant. The Maharashtra capital on Friday reported 5,631 new COVID-19 cases, almost 2,000 more than Thursday, which took the caseload in the city on the last day of the year to 7,85,110, as per the civic body. This was a rise of 53 per cent over 3,671 cases recorded on Thursday. As per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), out of 282 samples sent for genome sequencing, 156 (55 per cent) were found to be of Omicron variant, 89 (32 per cent) of Delta Derivative and 37 (13 per cent) of Delta variant, as of Friday. (PTI)

Amid rising cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited the RT-PCR screening centre at the Ahmedabad international airport in Gujarat and interacted with passengers and officials. India has mandated additional measures, including testing, for the passengers arriving at airports from “at-risk” countries. A facility has also been set up at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. As per the airport authorities, the facility with a waiting area sufficient for 220 passengers, 17 registration counters, eight sampling booths, including 120 RT-PCR machines, has been set up for such passengers. In a video clip posted by Mandaviya, he is seen interacting with the waiting passengers and airport officials. “During my Gujarat visit, I took stock of the RT-PCR screening center at the Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel International Airport and interacted with the passengers,” the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare tweeted on Friday night. According to the Union health ministry, 'at-risk' countries include the countries in Europe with the UK, and South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand and Israel. Gujarat's tally of Omicron cases stood at 113 as of Friday. (PTI)