Omicron Variant Cases and Deaths in India Live, Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Registration January 20 Live Update: India recorded 2,82,970 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, 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.
Stay tuned as Financial Express Online brings you the latest coronavirus updates:
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)
More than 50 per cent of India’s population belong to the age group between 15 and 18 years have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccination already just a few weeks through starting the fourth phase of vaccination this year. PM Narendra Modi lauded the youngsters on the occasion for getting vaccinated at the earliest making India achieve the feat and asked them to continue the momentum. READ MORE
A traders body, dealing with essential supplies, on Wednesday announced its decision to observe weekend lockdown here to support the efforts of the Jammu and Kashmir administration to contain the spread of COVID-19 infection. On January 15, the Union Territory administration imposed “complete restriction on non-essential movement” during weekends amid a surge in Covid cases. In the highest single-day spike this month, Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday recorded 4,651 fresh cases of COVID-19, taking the total number of infections to 3,66,851 while three deaths pushed the death toll linked to the pandemic to 4,575. (PTI)
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday informed the Bombay High Court that the current COVID-19 situation in the city and its adjoining regions was “under control” and there was no reason for citizens to panic. Senior counsel Anil Sakhre told the bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik that Mumbai was witnessing a gradual decline in COVID-19 cases in the current third wave of the pandemic. As per the data available till January 15, there were 84,352 active cases in the city, of which 7 per cent patients needed hospitalisation, 3 per cent needed oxygen support and 0.7 per cent required ventilator support, Sakhre told HC. (PTI)
Hungary's daily tally of new COVID-19 infections jumped to a record 14,890 Wednesday but the number of patients treated in hospital has remained at a relatively low level. The government said the new Omicron variant “was spreading strongly”, fuelling new infections but by taking up booster vaccines serious symptoms can be avoided. In Hungary, a country of 10 million, 40,686 people have died of COVID-19. There are 2,645 coronavirus patients in hospital now, including 208 on ventilators. (Reuters)
Russia reports 33,899 new Coronavirus cases in past 24 hours (vs. 31,252 cases on previous day) (Reuters)
The Odisha government has received 30,000 'OmiSure' RT-PCR test kits for early detection of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, a senior health department official said. Odisha's Director of Health Services Bijay Mohapatra said: “The trial run of the Omisure kits are in progress. It will be first used for internal study and the kits will then be dispatched to districts reporting a higher number of cases,” he said. Official sources said the state has received 30,000 'OmiSure' kits in the first phase out of its order of 5 lakh such kits. He said the kits will first be used in four cities – Berhampur, Cuttack, Rourkela and Bhubaneswar. (PTI)
The Supreme Court Wednesday said it would consider listing for hearing the fresh plea of activists seeking implementation of an earlier order on ensuring food security and other welfare measures for migrant workers who are again in distress in the third COVID-19 wave triggered by omicron variant and consequential curbs imposed in parts of country. “Let me see,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana told advocate Prashant Bhushan who sought urgent hearing on an interim application filed by three activists, Anjali Bharadwaj, Harsh Mander and Jagdeep Chhokar, in a 2020 suo motu case. (PTI)
Six passengers, including three women, were not allowed to board Air India's Dubai-bound flight at the Indore airport on Wednesday after they were found infected with coronavirus, a health official said. “As per protocol, every passenger boarding the weekly Indore-Dubai flight has to undergo a rapid RT-PCR test at the airport. On Wednesday, 67 passengers were tested and the results of six passengers came out positive,” Dr Priyanka Kourav, medical officer of the Madhya Pradesh health department, told PTI. She said that two of the six infected passengers are from Bhopal and four from Indore. (PTI)
Puducherry confirmed 1,849 fresh coronavirus infections during the last 24 hours as against 2093 cases reported on Tuesday, registering a dip in number of new cases. The cumulative active cases however rose to 11, 344 as against 10,393 recorded on Tuesday. A release from the Director of Health and Family Welfare Services G Sriramulu said Puducherry region alone accounted for 1,316 fresh cases out of the total 1849 cases while Karaikal had 447, Mahe 28 and Yanam 58. The overall tally of cases of infection was 1,42,559. The Director said 895 patients recovered and were discharged during last 24 hours. The overall recoveries stood at 1,29,319. (PTI)
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said his government will re-examine the COVID-19 curbs that are in place, and will take a decision regarding relaxation, including the weekend curfew on January 21. The Chief Minister, who had tested positive for COVID on January 10, today resumed his day-to-day work from office, after recovery. “On Friday, I will hold a meeting with experts, and will re-examine the curbs that have been enforced,” he said. (PTI)
Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive of global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc., was awarded on Wednesday the prestigious Genesis Prize for his efforts in leading the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The $1 million award is granted each year to a person for their professional achievements, contributions to humanity and commitment to Jewish values. The Genesis Prize Foundation said Bourla had received the largest number of votes in an online campaign in which some 200,000 people in 71 countries participated. (AP)
Ladakh has reported 164 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of cases in the union territory to 23,700, officials said on Wednesday. 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 the union territory on Tuesday, they said, adding that active cases rose to 965. (PTI)
The number of daily new COVID19 cases is decreasing and the overall situation is under control; Hospitalisations are less in number. We are using our full potential to increase testing and vaccination coverage: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope (ANI)
Supreme Court summons Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar for non-payment of ex-gratia compensation to the kin of the victims of COVID-19 despite the earlier orders of the court.
Court asks them to be present before it through virtual hearing at 2pm today. (ANI)
As many as 499 police personnel were found infected with coronavirus in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours, an official said on Wednesday. The infected personnel include 95 police officers. He said 821 police officers and 3,269 police personnel (total 4,090) currently remain admitted at various facilities, including home isolation, in Maharashtra. The total number of infected police officers in Maharashtra is 5,854 since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020. A total of 40,959 police personnel, ranging from the rank of the constable to assistant sub-inspector, were found infected in the state, he added. (PTI)
The Japanese government will place Tokyo and a dozen other areas under new restrictions for COVID-19 effective Friday, allowing local leaders to shorten hours for eateries, as a surge in omicron cases threatens to paralyze society. A government-commissioned experts' panel on Wednesday approved a plan to put the 13 areas under a three-week restraint through Feb. 13, said Economy Revitalization Minister Daishiro Yamagiwa, who is also in charge of virus measures. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to officially announce the new measures at a government taskforce meeting later Wednesday. (AP)
Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 tally rose to 57,387 as 350 more people tested positive for the infection on Wednesday, 54 less than the previous day, a senior health official said. The northeastern state on Tuesday had reported 404 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike this month. Of the 350 fresh cases, 115 were registered in the Capital Complex Region, 40 from West Kameng, Namsai (37), Papumpare (30), Changlang (27), East Siang and Lohit with 18 cases each and Lower Dibang Valley reported 17 cases, the official said. Two army men, one person each from NDRF and CRPF were among the fresh cases, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said. (PTI)
Odisha on Wednesday recorded 11,607 new COVID-19 cases, 521 more than the previous day, with the tally rising to 11,67,094, a health department bulletin said. The death toll mounted to 8,494 with six fresh COVID fatalities, the highest single-day count in more than three months, it said. Fifty-three other coronavirus-positive patients have died due to comorbidities so far, the bulletin said. At least 991 children were among the new patients and the positivity ratio stood at 16.7 per cent as the fresh infections were detected from 69,502 sample tests in the last 24 hours, it said. (PTI)
The $350 billion in coronavirus relief funds for state and local governments has allowed U.S. cities to respond stronger and more nimbly to an ever changing COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday. In remarks prepared for delivery to a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Yellen said state and local governments have been creative in using the funding from last year's American Rescue Plan to meet different needs at different times. “This, I think, is some of what the $350 billion did: When Omicron started spreading around our cities, it did not find them broke and broken; it found them much readier to respond,” she said, referring to the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. (Reuters)
More than 158.46 crore COVID19 vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs; over 12.84 crore balance & unutilized vaccine doses are still available with States/UTs to be administered: Union Health Ministry (ANI)
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