Omicron Variant Cases and Deaths in India Live, Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Registration Latest Update: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today announced that he tested positive for Covid-19 and has isolated himself at home. Kejriwal urged the people who came in contact with him in the last few days to get tested.
Amid a surge in Coronavirus infections and rapidly spreading Omicron variant, India on January 3rd started its vaccination drive for children of the age group 15 to 18. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya had informed that over 40 lakh teens got their first dose on the first day of vaccination. The health minister took to micro-blogging site Twitter and wrote, “Well done Young India! Over 40 lakhs between 15-18 age group received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on the 1st day of vaccination drive for children, till 8 PM. This is another feather in the cap of India’s vaccination drive.”
During the day, Mandaviya visited the Covid vaccination site for children at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and interacted with some of the beneficiaries, news agency PTI reported. “Visited RML Hospital and took stock of the vaccination campaign for children in the age group of 15-18 years. Interacted with the children and asked them to motivate their friends for the vaccine,” Mandaviya said in another tweet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter to congratulate the youngsters on getting their first jab. “Today we have taken an important step forward in protecting our youth against COVID-19. Congrats to all my young friends between the age group of 15-18 who got vaccinated. Congrats to their parents as well. I would urge more youngsters to get vaccinated in the coming days!” the PM said on Twitter.
Many schools were used as vaccination centres and as per the government’s directives, only Covaxin was administered to the children aged 15-18. The Health Ministry in a tweet said, “Only Covaxin approved for less than 18 yrs. Eighteen plus (ie born in 2004 or before) are eligible for all vaccines, including Covishield. For 15-17 years (born in 2005, 2006, 2007) eligible only for Covaxin. Validations in place in Co-WIN.”
Maharashtra’s health department on Monday reported 12,160 new Covid-19 cases, 283 more than the previous day, and 11 new deaths, while the active tally crossed the 50,000 mark. With these numbers, Maharashtra’s Covid tally rose to 67,12,028, while the death toll increased to 1,41,553. 68 new cases of Omicron were also detected in the state taking the tally to 578. Delhi on Monday recorded 4,099 fresh Covid-19 cases and the positivity rate spiralled to 6.46%. Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that the Omicron variant is behind the surge in infections in the national capital and more restrictions will be implemented if the bed occupancy rate goes up. The number of new cases and positivity rate in the city is the highest since May 18 last year when Delhi reported 4,482 infections, PTI reported. Tamil Nadu too continued to witness an increase in new Covid cases. The state on Monday recorded 1,728 new Coronavirus infections and 6 fatalities, taking the count to 27,52,856 and the death toll to 36,796.
Meanwhile, India reported 37,379 new Covid-19 cases and 124 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Tuesday morning. The Centre has stated that over 152.96 crore vaccine doses have been given to States/UTs so far through Govt of India and through direct state procurement category. More than 19.69 Cr balance & unutilized vaccine doses are still available with the States and Union Territories.
Watch out this space for latest news related to Covid-19 and Omicron variant from India and around the globe:
Bihar imposes fresh curb in view of rising number of COVID19; Pre-school& 1 to 8 classes to remain close, online classes will continue. Educational institutions of classes 9-12 will function on 50% capacity. Restrictions to remain in effect from Jan 6 to 21, reads order (ANI)
Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday recorded 199 fresh cases of the coronavirus, which took the tally to 3,42,001, while no death due to the virus was reported in the past 24 hours, officials said. Out of the fresh cases, 90 were from the Jammu division and 109 from the Kashmir division, they said. Srinagar district recorded the highest of 60 cases followed by 58 cases in Jammu district. (PTI)
The daily COVID-19 cases in Gujarat on Tuesday crossed the 2,000-mark for the first time in over seven months with the addition of 2,265 infections, a rise of 1,006 cases than the day before, taking the state's overall tally to 8,37,293, the health department said. Gujarat had recorded 2,521 cases on May 28, 2021. With two more fatalities- one each in Navsari and Bhavnagar–the overall COVID-19 death toll in Gujarat climbed to 10,125. (PTI)
A top World Health Organisation official says low hospitalisation and death rates in South Africa due to the omicron variant cannot be considered a template for how the variant will fare as it surges in other countries. Dr. Abdi Mahamud, COVID-19 incident manager at the U.N. health agency, notes a “decoupling” between case counts and deaths in the country, which first announced the emergence of the fast-spreading new variant. He said Tuesday that in terms of hospitalisations South Africa remains “very low, and the death has remained very, very low.” (AP)
The tally of COVID-19 cases in Nashik district of Maharashtra rose to 4,14,755, after 322 people tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, an official said. At least 109 patients were discharged from hospitals while one died of the infection during the day, taking the count of recoveries to 4,04,953 and toll to 8,759, the official said. (PTI)
he COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 7,94,769 on Tuesday with detection of 308 new cases, while the death toll increased by one to reach 10,534, an official said. The recovery count increased to 7,83,206 after 51 people were discharged from hospitals during the day, leaving the state with an active tally of 1,029, he said. With 58,044 swab samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,39,31,760, the official added. (PTI)
Agra mayor Naveen Jain has tested positive for COVID-19 and has gone into self-isolation, an official said Tuesday. The district reported 23 fresh COVID-19 cases Tuesday and the total number of active cases now stands at 113, according to data released by the Agra administration. The mayor's Public Relation Officer (PRO) said Jain tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday and is into isolation. (PTI)
Rajasthan on Tuesday reported 1,137 fresh COVID-19 cases that took its tally to 9,58,570, while one more fatality pushed the death toll to 8,965, according to the health department. Of the fresh cases, 745 were reported from Jaipur, 185 from Jodhpur, 43 from Ajmer, 39 from Alwar, 31 from Kota, 21 from Bhilwara, 20 from Bharatpur and nine from Udaipur, a health department spokesperson said. (PTI)
Mumbai reported 10,860 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, up 34.37 per cent from a day ago and highest daily count since April 7, 2021, while two more patients succumbed to the infection, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. With these additions, Mumbai's tally of coronavirus cases jumped to 8,18,462, while the death toll increased to 16,381, said the BMC in a bulletin. On Monday, the city had recorded 8,082 COVID-19 cases and the latest daily tally showed an increase of 2,778, or 34.37 per cent. (PTI)
Bengal records 9,073 new Covid-19 cases, hike of 49 pc in a single day: Health Dept. (PTI)
COVID19 | Maharashtra reports 18,466 new cases & 20 deaths today; Active cases 66,308. Omicron case tally reaches 653, of these 259 have been discharged (ANI)
In a major relief for commuters, authorities announced on Tuesday that city buses and metro trains will return to running to their full seating capacity throughout the week in the wake of long queues witnessed at various bus stands stations of the mass rapid transit system. However, the new regulations come amid a massive surge in coronavirus cases — 5,481 cases with a positivity rate of 8.37 per cent. (PTI)
The Tata Medical and Diagnostics has developed a kit 'OmiSure' that can detect the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV2 in nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal specimens during the RT-PCR tests, a senior company executive said on Tuesday. The test kit is compatible with all standard Real-Time PCR Machines. The first target is based on S-gene dropout or S-gene target failure (SGTF), and the second target is based on S-gene mutation amplification (SGMA), said Ravi Vasanthapuram, the head of the research and development of TATA MD. (PTI)
Himachal Pradesh reports 260 new COVID positive cases, 22 recoveries and 0 deaths today; 859 active cases (ANI)
We are continuously reviewing the existing health infrastructure and preparedness in all States in the country: Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on the COVID19 situation (ANI)
Mizoram's COVID-19 tally rose to 1,42,248 on Monday as 347 more people, 195 more than the previous day, tested positive for the infection, a health official said. The northeastern state's coronavirus death toll rose to 552 as six more patients succumbed to the disease, he said. The single-day positivity rate dipped to 15.66 per cent from 23.40 per cent on the previous day. Mamit district registered the highest number of fresh cases at 96, followed by Aizawl (75) and Serchhip (56). Four fresh fatalities were reported in Champhai and two in Aizawl. (PTI)
In the wake of a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Haryana government on Tuesday announced more restrictions, including directing only 50 percent of government staff to physically attend offices. However, all officers of the level of Under Secretary, equivalent and above have to attend office regularly. Physical attendance of government employees below the level of Under Secretary shall be restricted to 50 percent of the actual strength and the remaining 50 percent shall work from home. A roster may be prepared accordingly by all the departments concerned, said a government order. Persons with disabilities and pregnant women employees shall be exempted from attending office but are required to work from home. The communication dated January 4 from the chief secretary was addressed to officials including all administrative secretaries to the Haryana government, all the heads of departments and Commissioners of all Divisions in the state and the Deputy Commissioners. (PTI)
Keeping in view the rising number of cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Kerala government on Tuesday issued a slew of directions to contain its spread, including restricting the number of attendees to various cultural and social functions. The COVID-19 evaluation meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has decided to restrict the number of people who can attend marriages, funerals, political, social and cultural events in a closed room to 75. The Chief Minister's Office said the number of people who can attend such functions in open areas have been limited to 150. (PTI)
Over 100 crore Covishield doses have been given in India and abroad which is a testimony of its safety and efficacy, Serum Institute has informed the DCGI which had sought more data for granting full marketing approval to the Covid vaccine, official sources said on Tuesday. Covishield is currently authorized for emergency use in the country. Serum Institute of India (SII), on October 25, had applied to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) seeking regular market authorization for the vaccine. The drug regulator in December sought more data and documents for it. Following this, Prakash Kumar Singh, the Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII, recently submitted a response along with more data and information. (PTI)
Nagaland's COVID-19 tally increased to 32,210 as four more people tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, the same number as it was on the previous day, a health official said. The Northeastern state's coronavirus death toll remained unchanged at 702 as no person had succumbed to the disease in the last 10 days, he said. Nagaland now has 62 active COVID-19 cases, while 30,375 people have recovered from the disease, including three in the last 24 hours, the official said. (PTI)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said the administration has decided to shut schools for Classes 1 to 8 in Pune district till January 30 due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. Speaking to reporters after attending the review meeting of the COVID-19 situation, Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of the district, said teaching in online mode will continue. The decision has come a day after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation announced that schools for Classes 1 to 9 and 11 will remain shut in Mumbai till January 31. (PTI)
Karnataka COVID-19 cases: 288 recoveries, 2479 new cases and 4 deaths today. Active cases 13,532 (ANI)
1,104 COVID19 cases have been reported in Pune today, taking the positivity rate to 18%: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar
Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai holds a meeting with members of the COVID19 Task Force and experts in Bengaluru (ANI)
Mumbai reports 10,860 fresh infections of COVID19 & 2 deaths; Active cases 47,476 (ANI)
All private hospitals and nursing homes in Delhi with 50 beds or more to reserve at least 40% of their total bed capacity for #covid19 patients: Delhi government (ANI)
A fine of Rs 500 will be imposed for not wearing a face mask in public places and Rs 1000 for spitting in open from tomorrow in Pune: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar (ANI)
Nepal on Tuesday stepped up its COVID-19 testing and vaccination campaign across the regions bordering India following the highest number of fresh coronavirus cases reported in New Delhi since May 16. Delhi reported 5,481 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the highest number of such cases since May 16, with a positivity rate of 8.37 per cent, and three more fatalities due to the viral disease, according to data shared by the city health department. The national capital recorded 6,456 fresh COVID-19 cases and 262 fatalities on May 16, while the case positivity rate stood at 10.4 per cent. (PTI)
Punjab | Around 41 students of DMC's nursing college in Ludhiana found COVID19 positive. Out of positive patients, 23 have been admitted to an adequate facility: Ludhiana CMO Dr SP Singh (ANI)
All coronavirus positive people on board the Cordelia cruise ship will be quarantined after the vessel reaches Mumbai from Goa, while others will have to undergo RT-PCR tests before disembarking, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday. Non-coronavirus passengers will be allowed to disembark from the ship only after their test report shows negative result, but they will have to remain in home isolation for a week, the civic body said. As many as 66 of the over 2,000 people on board the cruise ship, which is on its way to Mumbai from Goa, have tested positive for COVID-19, Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said on Monday. (PTI)
After reporting less than 3,000 fresh COVID-19 cases for the past two weeks, Kerala on Tuesday saw an increase in new infections with the recording of 3,640 cases which increased the caseload to 52,49,489. The state also recorded 453 deaths which increased the total fatalities to 48,637 till date, a government press release said. Of the 453 deaths, 30 were recorded over the last few days and 423 designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court. (PTI)
All passengers coming to the Jharkhand need to undergo a free Covid19 test on arrival at the airport. If a traveller is carrying a negative RTPCR report (within 72 hrs.)/full vaccination certificate (at least 15 days earlier), they'll be exempted from RT-PCR test: Ranchi Airport (ANI)
In view of the rise in coronavirus infections in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday ordered a ban on rallies, processions, and other kind of public events across the state, an official release said here. Baghel also ordered a “night clamp-down” from 10 pm to 6 am in the districts where the case positivity rate is 4 per cent and above, it added. The directives to district collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) were issued in the light of a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases in the last one week, the release said. The state recorded 1,782 new cases of coronavirus in the last one week. On Monday alone, 698 fresh infections were reported. (PTI)
In a spike in new COVID-19 infections, Andhra Pradesh registered 334 fresh cases on Tuesday, the highest in a day after November 10, 2021. Consequently, the number of active Covid-19 cases shot up to 1,516, an increase of 238 in a day. The state had recorded 122 new cases yesterday. The state reported 95 recoveries and one death in the 24 hours ending 9 am today, according to the latest bulletin. The cumulative Covid-19 positive cases climbed to 20,77,942, recoveries to 20,61,927 and deaths 14,499, the bulletin said. (PTI)
Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Tuesday said if the daily COVID-19 cases here cross the 20,000-mark, a lockdown will be imposed in the city as per the Union government's rules. Talking to reporters at her office in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, Pednekar suggested that citizens wear triple-layer masks while travelling in public buses and local trains. She also appealed to them to get vaccinated at the earliest and follow all COVID-19-related standard operating procedures (SOPs). Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray might address the citizens in a couple of days, she said. To a query, Pednekar said the BMC will carry out RT-PCR tests of people returning from Goa by a cruise ship and quarantine them at civic centres, or in hotels if they are ready to pay for it. (PTI)
The International Road Federation (IRF) on Tuesday said Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNAT), which is part of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, should not be reconverted into the COVID-19 centre in the wake of the threat posed by the Omicron variant of coronavirus. In March last year, JPNAT was converted into a full-fledged COVID-19 centre and normal trauma services were recently restored at the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNAT), global road safety body IRF said in a statement. The Federation said it has written to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging him to step in and not to allow reconversion of JPNAT into the COVID-19 centre. (PTI)
Delhi government issues an action plan for smooth running and real-time monitoring of oxygen supply in Delhi. Telemetry devices are being installed on oxygen tanks of 53 government and private hospitals in the city. Live monitoring will be done through govt COVID War Room. (ANI)
The UK's health service on Tuesday marked the first anniversary of the deployment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, manufactured and deployed in India soon after as Covishield. Brian Pinker, 82, became the first person in the world to receive the life-saving vaccine at Oxford University Hospital on January 4, 2021. Since then, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) said around 50 million AstraZeneca vaccines have been administered in the UK. Around 2.5 billion doses have also been distributed at-cost to more than 170 countries, including those manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in Pune. (PTI)
— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022
With rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra and Kerala, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said checkposts will be set up in places where there are village-to-village contacts between Karnataka and neighbouring states. He also said the police station under the jurisdiction will be responsible for such checkposts. “Our experiences since the first and second wave have been that the infections in Karnataka rise whenever COVID-19 cases spiral in our neighbouring states, with whom we have daily business activities. We have to focus on that area,” Bommai told reporters.
When asked about the laxity in the border regions, the Chief Minister said the border is vast and checking is happening at the main checkposts only. However, there are contacts with neighbouring states at the village level. “Today, I am going to issue a direction to hold the police stations responsible for places where there is village-to-village contact. We will set up checkposts in such villages there and deploy people,” the Chief Minister said. To a query on the possibility of a lockdown, semi-lockdown or weekend curfew, Bommai said he will have to wait for the experts' view on it. He, however, pointed out that the lockdown will have an adverse effect on the economy. “We have to keep the economy moving along with taking care of public health. That's the thinking of our government. I seek public support to contain the spread of the disease,” Bommai said. Regarding the possibility of closure of schools and colleges in view of rising COVID cases, Bommai said he will go by what the experts say in the meeting later in the evening. The state on Monday reported 1,290 cases and five deaths of which 1,041 infections and three fatalities were in Bengaluru itself. (PTI)
Jamia Millia Islamia has directed that only those employees who have received at least one dose of the anti-coronavirus vaccine will be allowed entry in their offices and departments, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the campus. In an order issued on December 31, the university said action will be taken against those employees who have not even taken a single dose of vaccine and they shall not be allowed entry in their offices. “The period of absence from duties of such employees shall be treated as 'On Leave' till the administration of the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine,” the order stated. The order said the administration of the first dose of the vaccine/complete vaccination will be verified by the department concerned through the Arogya Setu app or through the vaccination certificate produced by the employee concerned. (PTI)
Puducherry witnessed a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours with 66 new infections, officials said on Tuesday. The number of fresh cases in the Union Territory were less than 30 for several days earlier. In a press release, Director of Health G Sriramulu said the fresh cases were identified after examination of 3,420 samples. While Puducherry region reported 45 out of the 66 cases, the outlying region of Karaikal had 13 fresh cases followed by one in Yanam and seven in Mahe. With the latest addition, the total cases in the Union Territory so far rose to 1,29,619. The Director said seven patients recovered from the infection and were discharged while the overall recoveries were 1,27,524. There was, however, no fresh fatality as the death toll remained unchanged at 1,881, the director said. The health department has tested 20,53,558 samples till now and has found 17,42,432 samples out of them to be negative. The director said the test positivity rate was 1.93 per cent while fatality and recovery rates were 1.45 per cent and 98.38 per cent, respectively. Sriramulu said the health department has administered 14,10,815 vaccine doses so far which comprised 8,44,028 first doses and 5,66,787 second doses. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan launched the vaccination drive for adolescents (15 to 18 years) at the Soucilabai Government Girls Higher Secondary school in the heart of the town on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters after overseeing the vaccination of school children, she said the inoculation programme of teenagers that is underway in Puducherry and also across the country was a revolutionary step to combat the pandemic. “People should feel proud that the indigenously produced vaccine (Covaxin) was being used to vaccinate people to protect them against the pandemic,” she said. Soundararajan, who also conversed with the school children at the camp, also said that the UT government had set a target to vaccinate all 83,000 children in the age group of 15 to 18 years. The current drive to cover the teenagers began Monday and so far 454 adolescents have been vaccinated in Puducherry. “The vaccination of boys and girls was being done only after getting the consent of their parents and that might be the reason for the slow progress of the vaccination,” she said. The Lt Governor also said that nobody would be pardoned if they skipped vaccination. She said Chief Minister N Rangasamy had already inspected the places where improvised COVID Care Centres were planned to be set up. Puducherry's health department has vaccinated around 80 per cent of the total population with the first dose and around 1 lakh people remained to be covered. The Lt Governor also said all the government staff were expected to get the jab without fail. (PTI)
Nearly 5,500 fresh cases of Covid have been reported in Delhi on Tuesday with a positivity rate of about 8.5 per cent, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said while asserting that the weekend curfew imposed in the city should not be treated as a lockdown. Interacting with reporters, he said experts have been saying that the spike in Covid cases in Delhi should be considered largely due to the Omicron variant. On Monday, Delhi had reported 4,099 cases with a positivity rate of 6.46 per cent, and one death was recorded due to Covid, Jain said. (PTI)
— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022
Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Tuesday insisted upon special measures for Bengaluru amid an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the city. Claiming that the third wave of COVID-19 has set in, Sudhakar predicted that the state capital will be an epicentre of the latest outbreak. “Taking special steps in Bengaluru has become very necessary. Bengaluru is an epicentre. It was an epicentre in the first wave and second wave. It will be the epicentre during the third wave as well,” Sudhakar told reporters here. Explaining the reasons behind taking special steps for Bengaluru, he said the city has an international airport where many people arrive from abroad. Hence, we need to take special measures, the minister added. Sudhakar said the infections went up to 1.6 per cent from a mere 0.4 per cent in the state, of which 90 per cent were reported in Bengaluru. “If you look at the national figure, maximum cases are coming in the metropolitan cities. Almost 90 per cent are in those cities. Hence, we are concentrating on Bengaluru with focus on formation of micro-containment zones and screening at the airport,” the minister said. (PTI)
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday said the Delhi government has decided to impose weekend curfew in the capital in view of a surge in Covid cases driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant. He said government employees, barring those engaged in essential services, will be asked to work from home, while private offices will remain open with 50 per cent capacity. “There will be curfew on Saturdays and Sundays. People are requested to step out only when it is absolutely necessary,” he said in a virtual press conference after a meeting of the Disaster Management Authority. He said the government feared that bus stops and metro stations could become super spreaders as the seating capacity had been halved and long queues were seen at such places. So, it has been decided to run buses and metro trains on full capacity. But no one can travel without a mask, he said. There are around 11,000 active cases in Delhi. Only 350 are in hospitals. Of them 124 need oxygen, while seven are on ventilator support, Sisodia said. On December 28, the DDMA declared a 'yellow alert' after the positivity rate crossed the 0.5 per cent mark, and closed down cinemas and gyms. It had directed shops of non-essential items to open on an odd-even basis and reduced the seating capacity in metro trains and buses to 50 per cent. According to the DDMA-approved Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a positivity rate of more than five per cent for two consecutive days is one of the criteria to declare a 'red alert' which means a 'total curfew' and halting of most economic activities in the capital. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendar Jain have said most cases this time are mild or symptomatic and do not need medical care in hospitals.
Jain had said the Omicron variant of coronavirus is behind the surge in infections in the city and more restrictions will be implemented if bed occupancy rate goes up. Delhi on Monday reported 4,099 fresh COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate spiraled to 6.46 per cent, with Jain saying the Omicron variant of coronavirus is behind the surge in infections in the city and more restrictions will be implemented if the bed occupancy rate goes up. (PTI)
Odisha recorded the highest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases in over three months on Tuesday as 680 more people tested positive, the Health Department said. The daily positivity rate surged to 1.31 per cent from 0.77 per cent a day ago, while 119 children, or 17.5 per cent of the fresh cases, were infected in the past 24 hours, a bulletin stated. Khurda district, where Bhubaneswar is located, reported most of the new cases at 263, followed by 69 in Sundargarh and 59 in Cuttack. The infection tally rose to 10,56,660, it said. The state had logged 424 COVID-19 cases on Monday. On September 22, there were 734 infections. The toll mounted to 8,464 as a 50-year-old man from Balasore district died. These are confirmed as deaths due to COVID-19 after an audit, the department said. Fifty-three other COVID-19 patients have died due to comorbidities so far, according to the data. There are 2,888 active cases, including 1,153 (39.92 per cent) in Khurda — which re-entered the yellow zone where active cases are between 1,001-2,500. More than 10.45 lakh people have recovered so far, with 146 patients recuperating in the last 24 hours, it said. The new cases were detected after testing 51,745 samples. Health Director Bijay Mohapatra said the government was keeping a close watch on the situation. “We have to be vigilant just like during the first and second waves,” Mohapatra told reporters. There was no need for stricter restrictions right now, but new guidelines would be issued if required after considering the emerging situation, he added. Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) sealed the Deputy Commissioner of Police's office at Vani Vihar for two days after several COVID-19 cases were detected there. The office has been declared a containment zone, a senior BMC official said. (PTI)
A total of 80 people, including doctors, students and support staff, of the Government Rajindra Hospital and Medical College in Punjab's Patiala have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Tuesday. This comes as Patiala is turning out to be the worst-hit district in Punjab in terms of a rising number of coronavirus cases. Patiala reported 143 fresh coronavirus cases, accounting for 34 per cent of the 419 cases in Punjab, with a positivity rate of 23.95 per cent, on Monday. District Epidemiologist Dr Sumeet Singh on Tuesday said 22 resident doctors, 34 medical students, nine faculty members and 15 support and paramedical staff at the Government Rajindra Hospital and Medical College have tested positive for COVID-19. The officials said directions have been issued to evacuate nearly 1,000 medical students from the hostel after conducting their Covid tests. Those who test positive for the viral disease will be isolated, they added. A few days ago, 93 students at the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in Patiala had tested positive for Covid, the officials said. Punjab has been witnessing a rise in the number of coronavirus cases for the last few days. The state reported 46 fresh cases of the infection on December 27, 51 cases on December 28, 100 cases on December 29, 167 cases on December 30, 221 cases on December 31, 332 cases on January 1, 417 cases on January 2 and 419 cases on January 3. The positivity rate climbed to 4.47 per cent on January 3 from 0.63 per cent on December 27, according to a medical bulletin. Similarly, the number of active cases jumped from 392 on December 27 to 1,741 on January 3. Punjab has so far recorded 6,05,922 Covid cases and 16,651 deaths due to the disease. (PTI)
The COVID-19 tally of Arunachal Pradesh rose to 55,352 on Tuesday as nine more people tested positive for the infection, a health department official said. Of the fresh cases, four were reported from Lohit district, three from the Capital Complex Region and one each from Tawang and West Kameng, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said. The northeastern state did not register any new case on Monday. Two more persons were cured of the disease in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 55,047. The recovery rate among coronavirus patients in the state stood at 99.45 per cent, the SSO said. The death toll remained at 282 as no fresh fatality due to the infection was reported during the period, he said.
Arunachal Pradesh now has 23 active cases. The Capital Complex Region, comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, has the highest number of active cases at 15, followed by Lohit at four, Tawang and West Kameng at two each. Over 12.06 lakh samples have been tested for COVID-19, including 732 on Monday, Jampa said adding that the positivity ratio stood at 1.22 per cent. State Immunisation Officer Dr Dimong Padung said 14,64,826 people, including 1,785 beneficiaries in the age group of 15-18 years, have been inoculated. (PTI)
