The worst of the coronavirus pandemic — deaths, hospitalisations and lockdowns — could be over this year if huge inequities in vaccinations and medicines are addressed quickly, the head of emergencies at the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on January 18.
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the updates:
Kolkata sees dramatic dip in daily COVID-19 cases, restrictions relaxed
West Bengal, particularly its capital Kolkata, has witnessed an overnight dramatic drop in the number of daily COVID-19 cases, making the city breathe easy and encouraging the State government to ease some of the restrictions imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Only on Sunday, the number of new cases reported for Kolkata and the whole of West Bengal stood at 3,893 and 14,938 respectively. By Monday, these figures had dropped to 1,879 and 9,385 respectively.
No restriction on entry of vehicles from other States, says East Godavari SP
East Godavari Superintendent of Police (SP) M. Raveendranath Babu on Tuesday stated that there would be no restrictions on the entry of vehicles entering the district from the neighboring States of Telangana, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.
However, the curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. announced to curb the spread of COVID-19 would be enforced at the inter-State border in East Godavari Agency, which might affect the movement of people, the SP said.
Haryana extends Covid curbs till Jan 28, but gyms, spas can operate with 50% capacity
The Haryana government on Tuesday extended Covid restrictions in the state till January 28, but allowed gyms and spas to operate with 50% capacity while liquor vends can now open till 10 pm.
Initially, various restrictions imposed by the January 5 order in "Group A" districts, which had witnessed a big spike in cases, were imposed in all districts, the Haryana State Disaster Management Authority (HSDMA) had said in an earlier order issued on January 13.
Now, the guidelines released through orders on January 5, 10 and 13 will continue as before with modification of allowing gyms and spas to now operate with 50% capacity utilisation while liquor vends will be allowed to open till 10 pm as against 6 pm earlier, as per the HSDMA order. -PTI
WHO's top scientist says no evidence healthy kids, adolescents need COVID-19 boosters
The World Health Organization's chief scientist said on Tuesday there was currently no evidence that healthy children and adolescents need booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking at a media briefing, Soumya Swaminathan said that though there seems to be some waning of vaccine immunity against the highly transmissable Omicron variant over time, more research needs to be done to pin down who needs booster doses. -Reuters
White House soft-launches COVID-19 test request website
The Biden administration on Tuesday quietly launched its website for Americans to request free at-home COVID-19 tests, a day before the site was scheduled to officially launch.
The website, COVIDTests.gov, now includes a link for Americans to order up four at-home tests per residential address, to be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. It marks the latest step by President Joe Biden to address criticism of low inventory and long lines for testing during a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant. -AP
Govt. to begin first COVID vaccination camp for sex workers’ children
The Delhi government will set up its first camp for vaccinating sex workers’ children near G.B Road here on Wednesday.
Government sources said 100% of the 1,000-odd adult residents of the area had been administered the first dose and 90% had received their second dose.
In addition to sex workers’ children aged between 15 and 18 years, the Central District Administration, under whose jurisdiction the red light area falls, hopes to include children from underprivileged backgrounds residing nearby for their first of the vaccine at the Anglo Arabic School.
Covid vaccines safe during pregnancy: EU watchdog
Studies of pregnant women found the two most widely used Covid vaccines pose no risk to mothers or babies, the EU's drug regulator said on Tuesday.
Research involving some 65,000 women showed "growing evidence" that the Pfizer and Moderna jabs did not cause pregnancy complications, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said.
The shots also provided increased protection against hospitalisation and death, particularly in late pregnancy, said the watchdog. -AFP
Covid pandemic 'nowhere near over': WHO chief
The Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, the World Health Organization chief said Tuesday, cautioning against the narrative that the fast-spreading Omicron variant is mild.
"This pandemic is nowhere near over, and with the incredible growth of Omicron globally, new variants are likely to emerge," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. -AFP
Finland to begin easing COVID-19 restrictions, prime minister says
Finland will begin gradually easing COVID-19 restrictions from mid-February, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said after a day-long government meeting on Tuesday.
Finland would also stop doing health checks on Schengen Area borders after January as the Finnish health institute had earlier said they do not help with curbing the spread of the pandemic, Marin said.
The government in December decided all travellers coming to Finland would need to show proof of vaccinations or a healed COVID-19 infection and a recent negative test result. -Reuters
Endemic Covid would not mean end of danger: WHO
The World Health Organization on Tuesday warned against the notion that the COVID-19 pandemic becoming endemic would mean the disease was no longer dangerous.
"People talk about pandemic versus endemic," the WHO's emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual session of the World Economic Forum.
"Endemic malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people; endemic HIV; endemic violence in our inner cities.
"Endemic in itself does not mean good -- endemic just means it's here forever," Ryan told the Davos Agenda roundtable on vaccine equity. -AFP