Omicron Variant Cases and Deaths in India Live, Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Registration January 20 Live Update: India reported 3,17,532 fresh Coronavirus infections, the highest in 249 days, taking its overall tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,82,18,773, which includes 9,287 cases of the Omicron variant, according to data from the Union Health Ministry on Thursday. The number of active cases surged to 19,24,051, the highest in 234 days, while the death toll climbed to 4,87,693 with 491 fresh fatalities, the Health Ministry said. It said the active cases now account for 5.03% of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has decreased to 93.09%.
On Wednesday, India recorded 2,82,970 new Covid-19 cases, nearly 45,000 more than the previous day. Though some cities like Delhi and Mumbai have started witnessing a declining trend in fresh Coronavirus infections, some states like Kerala, Maharashtra, and Gujarat are still reporting a high number. Are we near the third wave peak? IIT Kanpur scientist Manindra Agrawal said Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata have already reached their peak in terms of new Covid-19 cases in the past seven days. He said Covid-19 cases will peak in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana this week, while states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Tamil Nadu may peak next week. The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India may peak on January 23 with daily cases likely to remain below the 4-lakh mark, Agrawal said.
A new study said that Omicron infection may not generate broad immunity in unvaccinated individuals that can protect against other variants. This study further makes vaccination even more important to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, India has administered over 158 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines – first, second and precaution doses taken together — until January 18.
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Britain must learn to live with COVID-19 as it may be with us forever, health minister Sajid Javid said on Thursday, adding that Britain was moving ahead of other countries as the government lifted coronavirus measures. “We need to learn to live with it. Sadly people die of flu as well: in a bad flu year you can sadly lose about 20,000 lives, but we don't shut down our entire country,” Javid told Sky News. “COVID is not going away. It's going to be with us for many, many years, perhaps forever, and we have to learn to live with it… I think we are leading Europe in the transition from pandemic to endemic and we're leading the way in showing the world how you can live with COVID.” (Reuters)
New Zealand is among the few remaining countries to have avoided any outbreaks of the omicron variant, but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday an outbreak was inevitable and the nation would tighten restrictions as soon as one was detected. But she also said that New Zealand would not impose the lockdowns that it has used previously, including for the delta variant. “This stage of the pandemic is different to what we have dealt with before. Omicron is more transmissible,” Ardern said. “That is going to make it harder to keep it out, but it will also make it more challenging to control once it arrives. But just like before, when COVID changes, we change.” (AP)
A third dose of COVID-19 vaccine increases the level of antibodies that can effectively neutralise the Omicron variant of coronavirus, according to a study published in The Lancet journal. Researchers from Francis Crick Institute and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), UK, found that antibodies generated in people who had received only two doses of either the AstraZeneca or the Pfizer vaccine were less able to neutralise Omicron as compared to Alpha and Delta variants. They also found that antibody levels dropped off in the first three months following the second dose but a third 'booster' dose raised levels of antibodies that effectively neutralise the Omicron variant. The study found that in people who had received the Pfizer vaccine for all three doses, antibody levels against Omicron after a third dose were similar to those previously reached against Delta after only two shots. (PTI)
Ladakh has reported 185 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 23,885 while the active cases in the union territory has gone up to to 1,020, officials said. The union territory has recorded 222 Covid-related deaths — 164 in Leh and 58 in Kargil — since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, they said. There was no death reported from union territory on Wednesday, they said. With the discharge of as many as 130 patients from hospitals in Ladakh, the total number of cured patients has surged to 22,643, they said. (PTI)
Arunachal Pradesh reported 435 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day spike so far this month, as the tally climbed to 57,822, a senior health department official said. The northeastern state had Wednesday logged 350 infections. Out of Thursday's count, 138 cases were registered in the Capital Complex Region, 40 from West Kameng, Changlang (37), Namsai (35), Lower Dibang Valley (31), Lohit (28), Papumpare (26), Lower Subansiri (23) and East Siang (22), he said. The death toll remained at 282 as no fresh fatality was reported in the past 24 hours. (PTI)
Antibody in 30% of individuals above the age of 40 declines barely six months after vaccination, a new study has demonstrated. The study was conducted by Hyderabad-based AIG Hospitals, in collaboration with the Asian Healthcare Foundation. The study evaluated antibody levels to SARS-CoV2 in 1,636 fully vaccinated healthcare workers to determine the longevity of vaccine-induced immunity and protection against Covid-19. READ MORE
Australia has ruled out letting teenagers as young as 16 drive forklift trucks to tackle a shortage of workers in coronavirus-hit supply chains, as it scrambles to scoop up millions of home testing kits needed to keep businesses functioning. A sudden surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks has seen hundreds of thousands of workers benched by illness or the need to isolate, leading states to quickly lower the isolation requirement to seven days. Prime Minister Scott Morrison had floated a proposal to lower the minimum age of forklift drivers from 18 to 16, seeking solutions for a shortage of workers now hobbling the economy. Earlier this week he scrapped visa fees for foreign backpackers and students wanting to work and study in Australia. But most States consider forklift operation to be high-risk work which requires a licence available only to 18s and over, and after a meeting with State premiers on Thursday, Morrison said the proposal had proved a non-starter. (Reuters)
Puducherry reports 2783 new COVID19 cases, 1073 recoveries and 1 death in the last 24 hours.
Active cases 13,053
Test positivity 43.19% (ANI)
Thailand will resume its 'Test & Go' quarantine waiver for vaccinated arrivals starting on Feb 1, the country's coronavirus taskforce said on Thursday. All arrivals must take a COVID-19 test on arrival and five days later, spokesperson Taweesin Wisanuyothin said at briefing, during which additional “Sandbox” areas were announced, a similar scheme to revive its battered tourism sector, where visitors must stay for one week in a designated location. (Reuters)
Jharkhand's COVID-19 tally climbed to 4,12,939 as 2,617 more people tested positive for the virus, while 12 fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 5,225, a health bulletin said on Thursday. Ranchi district registered the highest number of new cases at 809, followed by 525 in Jamshedpur, it said. The single-day deaths include five fresh fatalities in Jamshedpur and two in Ranchi. The state now has 27,422 active cases, while 3,80,292 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 3,769 in the last 24 hours. (PTI)
Stand-up comedian and actor Vir Das on Thursday said he has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. The 42-year-old gave a health update via Instagram and urged people to follow all the necessary COVID-19 guidelines. “We back. Seriously tho. This thing sucked. Wear a mask, get boosted, take your vitamins, drink snake blood..whatever. It was a LONG two-ish weeks. Still masking around the house. Stay safe,” he captioned a reel. On January 11, Das said he had tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. (PTI)
PM Modi spoke to Parkash Singh Badal and enquired about his health; Shiromani Akali Dal patron & former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal was admitted to hospital after testing COVID positive (ANI)
Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday became the fifth coronavirus vaccine approved for use in Australia. The country has ordered 51 million doses of the U.S.-manufactured vaccine, supplied under the brand Nuvaxovid, for its population of 26 million. Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines are already in use in Australia. Johnson and Johnson's Janssen vaccine is also approved but the government has not bought any. The Novavax vaccine will be available to unvaccinated Australians aged 18 years and older but will not be used as a booster for the 95% of the population aged 16 and older who have already received a vaccine. (AP)
Hong Kong will suspend face-to-face teaching in secondary schools from Jan 24, the Education Bureau said on Thursday, because of a rising number of coronavirus infections in several schools in the Chinese-ruled territory. The government halted classes in primary schools and kindergartens early this month, and imposed curbs, such as a ban on restaurant dining after 6 p.m. and the closure of venues such as gyms, cinemas and beauty salons. (Reuters)
Odisha recorded 10,368 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday, raising the tally to 11,77,462, while the single-day death count of seven was the highest in more than three months, the Health Department said. The state had logged 11,607 new cases and six deaths on Wednesday. It now has 88,346 active cases, and 10,80,562 patients have recovered from the disease so far, including 6,785 in the past 24 hours. The toll mounted to 8,501 with four deaths in Bhubaneswar and one each in Sambalpur, Khurda and Ganjam districts, the department said in a bulletin. (PTI)
With the addition of 3,865 coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra mounted to 6,81,420, an official said on Thursday. These cases were reported on Wednesday, he said. As the virus claimed the lives of eight patients, the death toll in the district rose to 11,678. Thane's COVID-19 mortality rate is 1.71 per cent, he added. (PTI)
India reports 3,17,532 new COVID cases, 491 deaths, and 2,23,990 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
Active case: 19,24,051
Daily positivity rate: 16.41%
9,287 total Omicron cases detected so far; an increase of 3.63% since yesterday (ANI)
Mizoram reported 984 new cases; active cases at 9075 (ANI)
A new study in two states that compares coronavirus protection from prior infection and vaccination concludes getting the shots is still the safest way to prevent COVID-19. The study examined infections in New York and California last summer and fall and found people who were both vaccinated and had survived a prior bout of COVID-19 had the most protection. But unvaccinated people with a past infection were a close second. By fall, when the more contagious delta variant had taken over but boosters weren't yet widespread, that group had a lower case rate than vaccinated people who had no past infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the study Wednesday, noted several caveats to the research. And some outside experts were cautious of the findings and wary of how they might be interpreted. “The bottom line message is that from symptomatic Covid infection you do generate some immunity,” said immunologist E John Wherry of the University of Pennsylvania. “But it's still much safer to get your immunity from vaccination than from infection.” (AP)
For the first time, people across the US can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests. But the White House push may do little to ease the omicron surge, and experts say Washington will have to do a lot more to fix the country's long-troubled testing system. The website, COVIDTests.gov, allows people to order four at-home tests per household, regardless of citizenship status, and have them delivered by mail. But the tests won't arrive for seven to 12 days, after omicron cases are expected to peak in many parts of the country. The White House also announced on Wednesday that it will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free at pharmacies and community health centres. Both initiatives represent the kind of mass government investments long seen in parts of Europe and Asia, but delayed in the U.S. (AP)
President Joe Biden has acknowledged that the pandemic has left Americans exhausted and demoralized but insisted at a news conference marking his first year in office that he has “outperformed” expectations. He said on Wednesday that he would likely have to settle for “big chunks” of his signature economic package to break an impasse in Congress. Biden said he believes important parts will be passed before the 2022 mid-term elections and voters will back Democrats if they are fully informed – an assignment he said he will pursue by travelling the country. The president began the news conference by reeling off early successes on coronavirus relief and a bipartisan infrastructure deal. (AP)
For the first time, all Americans can log on to a government website and order free, at-home COVID-19 tests. But the White House push may do little to ease the omicron surge, and experts say Washington will have to do a lot more to fix the country's long-troubled testing system. The website, COVIDTests.gov, allows people to order four at-home tests per household and have them delivered by mail. But the tests won't arrive for seven to 12 days, after omicron cases are expected to peak in many parts of the U.S. The White House also announced Wednesday that it will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free at pharmacies and community health centers. Both initiatives represent the kind of mass government investments long seen in parts of Europe and Asia, but delayed in the U.S. AP
Maharashtra minister Varsha Gaikwad on Wednesday said a proposal to reopen schools in the state from next week based on the local COVID-19 situations has been sent to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The proposal includes opening of pre-primary schools, she said. Earlier this month, the Maharashtra government had announced the closure of schools in the state till February 15 as the number of coronavirus cases started spiralling from December amid the emergence of the new Omicron variant. “After COVID cases rose, the government decided not to continue with the school (offline) sessions. But after discussion with the experts, it has been decided to start the sessions where the number of cases is low based on the local COVID-19 situation,” Gaikwad said. – PTI
An expert panel of India's central drug authority on Wednesday recommended granting regular market approval to Covid vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, which are currently only authorised for emergency use in the country, subject to certain conditions, official sources said. Pharma companies Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech had submitted applications to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) seeking regular market authorisation for their respective COVID-19 vaccines Covishield and Covaxin. Prakash Kumar Singh, director (government and regulatory affairs) at SII, had submitted an application to the DCGI on October 25 on this matter. – PTI
India Under-19 skipper Yash Dhull, his deputy Sheikh Rasheed and four of their teammates have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing them out of the Group B World Cup game against Ireland here on Wednesday. Apart from Dhull and Rasheed, batter Aaradhya Yadav, Vasu Vats, Manav Parakh, and Siddharth Yadav were also found infected with the virus, because of which India barely managed to field an XI against Ireland. “Three Indian players had tested positive yesterday and were already isolated. In the morning before match our captain and vice captain also tested positive in Rapid Antigen Test which is not (not considered) conclusive,” a BCCI official told PTI.
elhi reported 13,785 fresh COVID-19 cases and 35 more fatalities due to the viral disease on Wednesday, while the positivity rate climbed to 23.86 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. The national capital had logged 11,684 Covid cases and 38 deaths due to the disease on Tuesday, while the positivity rate had declined to 22.47 per cent. The city had reported 12,527 Covid cases and 24 deaths on Monday, while the positivity rate was 27.99 per cent. A total of 57,776 tests were conducted to detect the infection on Tuesday, up from 52,002 on Monday. – PTI
Gujarat on Wednesday recorded its highest single-day rise of 20,966 new coronavirus infections besides 12 deaths, the state health department said. On Tuesday, the state had reported 17,119 new cases, the highest one-day rise till then. People should not take the Omicron variant of coronavirus as lightly as common flu and must follow precautions like social distancing, members of the Gujarat government's COVID-19 task force said earlier in the day. The caseload in the state rose to 9,77,078 on Wednesday while the death toll on account of the pandemic reached 10,186. Six patients died in Ahmedabad, two each in Valsad and Sabarkantha, and one each in Surat and Bhavnagar districts. – PTI
The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country crossed 159.54 crore on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated. More than 62 lakh (62,39,005) vaccine doses were administered in the day till 7 pm. Over 61 lakh precaution doses have been administered to frontline workers, healthcare workers, and citizens aged 60 and above, the ministry stated. A total of 3,82,93,986 doses have been given to adolescents in the age group of 15 to 18 years, according to the health ministry's interim data. The government rolled out the countrywide vaccination drive on January 16 last year with healthcare workers getting jabbed in the first phase. – PTI
Greece has begun imposing recurring fines on those over the age of 60 who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 to try to boost inoculation in the most vulnerable age group even as infection rates from the fast-spreading Omicron variant are slowing.After hitting an all-time high of 50,126 registered coronavirus infections on Jan. 4, mainly driven by the spread of the Omicron variant over the Christmas holidays, cases have been falling in recent days.But with the more severe Delta variant still infecting many Greeks and causing serious illness in people over the age of 60, the country has been registering many dozens of daily deaths at its hospitals. About nine in 10 coronavirus-related fatalities are people over 60, the government has said.”They did the right thing because it's good for all of us and our health,” said Vassilis Chrisikos, 85. – Reuters
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced his government's decision to lift all the additional restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the Omicron, including mandatory wearing of face masks anywhere, from next Thursday after analysis showed that the new variant of COVID-19 has now most likely peaked in the country. This means people in England will no longer be told to work from home where possible and mandatory COVID-19 vaccine certification required for large venues will also come to an end. PTI
Chinese capital Beijing reported five new COVID-19 cases of the Delta variant on Wednesday, days after the first Omicron case was detected in the city bracing to host the Winter Olympics from next month. Four of the infected people are the employees of a cold storage company in Fangshan district. The fifth person, who lives with one of those employees, also works in the cold storage industry, Liu Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, (DCP) told a news conference here. The Delta variant was detected from samples. All of the cases have been transferred to designated hospitals for medical treatment, he said. – AP
The education department has ordered temporary suspension of classes in five schools and a college in the city due to a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the campuses. A department communique here said the classes in the six institutions will be suspended for a week due to increase in Covid-19 cases. The institutions include Vivekananda PU college, Yedapadavu; government high school, Bengre Kasaba; Canara CBSE school, Dongrakere; Ansar English medium high school, Bajpe and Vyasa Maharshi English medium high school, Mulki. Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner K V Rajendra in a statement said if more than five individuals are found infected in a campus, such schools and colleges will be temporarily closed. PTI
COVID-19 breached the Indian women's football team's bio-security bubble here on Wednesday ahead of the AFC Asian Cup with two members testing positive for the virus, forcing the organisers to shift them to a medical facility for isolation. “Two members of the Indian Women's Senior National Team for the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022 have tested positive for COVID-19, and are currently in isolation at a designated medical care facility,” the All India Football Federation (AIFF) tweeted. “The AIFF prioritises the health and safety of its players, and are following all the necessary health protocols as have been laid down by the AFC,” the organising federation wrote in another tweet. – PTI
Confirming that Kerala is witnessing a third wave of COVID-19, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday cautioned people against the “super-spread” of the pandemic and said both Delta and Omicron variants of the virus are contributing to the ongoing unprecedented surge in daily cases. Contrary to the first and second waves, there is rapid spread of the disease in the third wave in the beginning itself, she said at a press conference here. However, the Congress-led UDF opposition alleged that both the government and the health department were standstills when the third wave hit the state and the lack of preparedness and the scarcity of essential medicines aggravated the situation. – PTI
Kerala reports 34,199 new COVID19 cases, 8,193 recoveries and 49 deaths in last 24 hours; Active caseload at 1,68,383
Death toll: 51,160
49 deaths reported in Kerala. 85 deaths added to the death toll as per the new guidelines of Central government – ANI
As much as 30 per cent individuals lose vaccine-acquired immunity after six months, according to a study conducted by AIG Hospitals along with the Asian Healthcare Foundation on Vaccine Immunity. The study was conducted on 1,636 healthcare workers who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, a press release from AIG Hospitals said. “Our study results were at par with other global studies where we found that almost 30 per cent individuals had antibody levels below protective immunity level of 100 AU/ml after six months. These individuals were majorly above 40 years with co-morbidities like hypertension and diabetes. Out of the total, 6 per cent did not develop any immune protection at all,” Dr D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman, AIG Hospitals said. – PTI
The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week, now that federal officials are emphasising their better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings. The White House announced Wednesday that the masks will come from the government's Strategic National Stockpile, which has more than 750 million of the highly protective masks on hand. The masks will be available for pickup at pharmacies and community health centers across the country. They will begin shipping this week for distribution starting late next week, the White House said. – AP
The Omicron variant of coronavirus may reduce the incidence of severe COVID-19 disease, and the infection may become less disruptive to individuals and society in future, according to a study conducted by researchers in South Africa. The findings of the yet-to-be peer-reviewed study are consistent with the previous observations of Omicron displacing Delta, since the variant can elicit immunity which neutralises Delta. The researchers from Africa Health Research Institute observed in samples from 23 people infected with Omicron in November and December that the variant escapes neutralising immunity elicited by Delta infection. This indicates that Omicron can re-infect Delta infected individuals but not vice-versa, giving Omicron an advantage over Delta, they said. (PTI)
The first dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines have been administered to over 95 per cent of the targeted population in Uttar Pradesh while the second dose administered to around 62 per cent, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday. In the 15-17 years age group, 62.83 lakh vaccine doses have been provided out of the target 1.40 crore doses, Adityanath told a press conference in poll-bound Gautam Buddh Nagar district. He said the vaccination programme was launched on January 16, 2021 and 157 crore vaccine doses were made available across the country. “Today, I am happy to inform that 23.75 crore doses have been provided to the people in Uttar Pradesh and the state fairs better than the national average at present,” he said at the press conference held at Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida. (PTI)
Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19. The 94-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch has been admitted to Dayanand Medical College & Hospital (DMCH ). DMCH Medical Superintendent Dr Sandeep Sharma said Badal tested positive for coronavirus. “He is stable,” Sharma added. (PTI)
Puducherry reports 1849 new COVID19 cases, 895 recoveries and 3 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Active cases in the UT stand at 11,344
Test positivity 30.23% (ANI)
Government of Andhra Pradesh revises the rate for RT-PCR testing to be charged by private laboratories; fixes the rate at Rs 350 (including all charges). (ANI)
The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India may peak on January 23 with daily cases likely to remain below the four lakh mark, according to a scientist at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur. Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata have already reached their peak in case numbers in the past seven days, said Manindra Agrawal, a professor at IIT Kanpur and one of the researchers associated with the Sutra Covid model. The Sutra model has been used to track and predict Covid case numbers in the country since the beginning of the pandemic. According to Agrawal, COVID-19 cases will peak in Maharashtra, Karnataka, UP, Gujarat, and Haryana this week, while states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Tamil Nadu may peak next week. “The daily peak cases are projected to peak on January 23 in India and stay below the four lakh mark. Metro cities Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata have already peaked,” Agrawal told PTI. “Trajectory with data up to 11th indicates the peak on 23th Jan with nearly 7.2 lakh cases per day. The actual trajectory is already deviating significantly, and the actual peak is unlikely to cross 4 lakh cases/day,” Agrawal tweeted on Tuesday. (PTI)
Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday cautioned people against the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the state during the third wave and said both Delta and Omicron variants of the virus are contributing to the ongoing unprecedented surge in daily cases. Though its severity is lesser, Omicron variant has the potential to spread the disease 5-6 times more than the Delta variant and so it should not be taken lightly. Every single person should adhere to COVID protocol strictly to keep the pandemic under control, she told reporters here. George also warned of stringent action against those unleashing false propaganda regarding the pandemic and vaccination through social media platforms. (PTI)
Police in Germany are investigating thousands of cases of suspected forgery of coronavirus vaccine certificates, the dpa news agency reported Wednesday. It cited figures obtained from the country's 16 states showing more than 12,000 police investigations have been opened nationwide. Dpa reported that the number of probes surged in December, after authorities announced new restrictions that largely locked unvaccinated people out of public life. Those who supply or use fake certificates could face severe penalties, from fines and suspended prison sentences to losing their jobs. (AP)
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