Omicron Variant Cases and Deaths in India Live, Covid-19 Booster Vaccine Registration Latest Update, Covid-19 NeoCov Variant Feb 4 Live Updates: The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in its meeting on Friday decided to reopen schools, colleges, coaching institutes, and gyms in Delhi, reports said. Notably, the duration of Delhi night curfew has also been reduced by one hour (between 11 pm and 5 am), as per the reports.
In the meeting to rethink Delhi Coronavirus restrictions, DDMA also allowed institutions of higher education to open subject to standard operating procedures (SoPs) and mandated strict adherence to COVID-appropriate-behaviour at the reopening schools. Reports said that at the DDMA meeting it was decided that the Delhi schools will reopen in a phased manner. The schools for classes 9th to 12th will reopen from February 7, the report added.
In an example of strict clamping of Covid rules in Delhi, DDMA has decided that teachers who aren’t vaccinated will not be permitted to attend classes.
Also, DDMA has allowed offices to function with 100% attendance in Delhi. Single drivers in cars will be exempted from compulsorily wearing masks all the time. There was a major furore over this Covid mask mandate in Delhi. Reports added that Delhi gyms will be allowed to reopen with Covid restrictions.
After touching the record high of 28,867 on January 13 this year, health department updates show that the number of daily cases in Delhi has been on a steady decline. During the present Coronavirus pandemic wave, Delhi recorded the highest positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14. And in the next 10 days, the daily cases have dropped below the 10,000-mark.
ALSO READ — 34 states/UTs witness decline in Covid-19 cases, says Health Ministry
Earlier, in a sign of relief, India on Friday reported 13% lower cases than the previous day and the daily positivity rate fell to single digits after hovering for much higher numbers in the recent weeks. As per the daily bulletin by the health ministry, India has recorded 1,49,394 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours.
The Covid-19 death toll for yesterday was 1,072 fatalities; while 2,46,674 recoveries were registered across the country.
The total number of Covid-19 vaccination doses administered in the country touched the 168.47 crore mark, as per the health ministry bulletin.
India Covid-19 Status in last 24 hours:
New COVID cases: 1,49,394;
Death recorded: 1,072;
Recoveries registered: 2,46,674;
Active cases: 14,35,569;
Daily positivity rate: 9.27%
Financial Express Online brings you the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic
Coronavirus India Live News: Covid-19 Omicron Cases in India Live Count, Coronavirus Lockdown, Night Curfew Guidelines and Restrictions Live Updates
Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope on Friday said the number of COVID-19 cases had begun declining statewide and predicted that the third wave of the pandemic might get over by the second or third week of March. He said the state, which was reporting 48,000 cases per day during the third wave which started some weeks ago, was now seeing the tally increase by 15,000 daily, adding that the infection curve was flattening in major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Raigad. (PTI)
PIL seeks reduction in gap for COVID-19 precaution dose for frontline workers, Delhi HC says 'it's a policy decision' (ANI)
With active COVID-19 cases in Kerala starting to show a decline over the past few days, the State Government on Friday decided to start offline classes for students from February 7. – PTI
Tripura recorded 62 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, six less than the previous day, pushing the tally to 1,00,584, an official said. One more patient succumbed to COVID-19 on Friday, taking the state's death toll to 912, he said. The state now has 1,726 active COVID-19 cases while 97,878 people have recovered from the disease, the official said. Tripura on Thursday had reported 68 new COVID-19 cases and one death. Around 80 per cent of the eligible people have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine, said Director of Family Welfare and Preventive Medicine, Dr Radha Debbarma on Friday. – PTI
Hong Kong plans to roll out rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 to all its 7.5 million people in the near future, city leader Carrie Lam said on Friday, as the increasingly isolated global financial hub tries to control a new outbreak.Lam told reporters her government was working on increasing testing, contact tracing and vaccination capacity and making plans to send hospitalised asymptomatic patients to a quarantine facility reserved for close contacts as infections add up.Amid worries of invisible transmissions in the city, Lam said the government was procuring tens of millions of rapid antigen tests, but did not specify when and how the government will deploy them for voluntary universal testing. – Reuters
Rajasthan govt decides to lift night curfew, allow up to 250 people at private and public gatherings; revised rules to come into effect from tomorrow (PTI)
Thankful to people who ignored rumours spread by Opposition against Covid vaccines: PM Modi (PTI)
Uttar Pradesh witnessed benefits of 'double engine' government in administering Covid vaccine: PM Modi at virtual rally (PTI)
At an online briefing, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced that the panel has also decided to resume classes from nursery to 8 from February 14. (PTI)
The BA.2 sub-variant of the coronavirus’ Omicron strain requires further study to understand how distinct it is from the original strain in terms of contagiousness and other factors, the European Medicines Agency Biological Health Threats and Vaccines Strategy chief Marco Cavaleri said. | READ MORE
Offices to resume with 100 pc attendance, gyms and spas to reopen, says DDMA: Sources (PTI)
DDMA exempts solo drivers in cars from wearing masks: Sources (PTI)
DDMA decides to reopen schools in phased manner; classes for 9-12 to resume from Feb 7, no entry for unvaccinated teachers: Sources (PTI)
In Delhi, institutions of higher education to open subject to SoPs & strict adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour. Schools to open in a phased manner. Schools for classes 9th-12th to reopen from Feb 7. Teachers who aren't vaccinated will not be permitted: Sources (ANI)
DDMA allows offices to function with 100% attendance in Delhi. Single drivers in cars to be exempted from mask mandate. Gyms to open with restrictions: Sources (ANI)
Japan serious COVID-19 cases crossed 1,000 for the first time in four months, data showed on Friday, as the Omicron variant fuelled record infections and burdened the medical system.Seriously ill patients climbed by 131 to 1,042 cases from the day before, the health ministry said, the highest since September when the Delta variant drove a fifth wave of cases.Japan recorded 96,748 new cases on Thursday. Most regions are now under infection control measures to try to blunt the spread of Omicron that has exploded among a population where less than 5% have received vaccine booster shots.The government is considering a two-week extension of the curbs in 13 regions, including its capital Tokyo, the Fuji News Network said on Thursday. – Reuters
Last month's huge wave of omicron infections is thought to have weakened hiring in January, though the pullback is considered all but sure to prove a temporary one. Economists have forecast that the Labour Department will report Friday that employers added just 170,000 jobs last month, according to data provider FactSet. They expect the unemployment rate to remain unchanged at 3.9%. If the forecast is accurate, January would mark the lowest monthly job gain in about a year. Some economists fear that the government's report will show that the economy actually lost jobs last month, mostly because omicron infections forced so many workers to call in sick and stay home. In some cases, the government will count those absent workers as having lost jobs. – AP
For more than two years, the isolation of the Pacific archipelago nation of Tonga helped keep COVID-19 at bay. But last month's volcanic eruption and tsunami brought outside deliveries of desperately needed fresh water and medicine and brought the virus. Tonga is only one of several Pacific island countries to experience their first outbreaks over the past month. There is growing concern that their precarious health care systems might quickly become overburdened, and that the remoteness that once protected them may now make them difficult to help. AP
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday a military response to the ongoing Ottawa protest against COVID-19 measures is “not in the cards right now.'' Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly said this week that all options are on the table, including calling in the military, to end the ongoing demonstration that was being called an ‘occupation’ by some on the city council. Thousands of protesters railing against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions descended on the capital last weekend, deliberately blocking traffic around Parliament Hill. Police estimate about 250 remain. Trudeau said one must be ‘very, very cautious’ about deploying troops on Canadian soil, adding there has been no such request to the federal government. He said any formal requests for assistance from the City of Ottawa or Ontario will be considered. – AP
Thane district in Maharashtra has reported 620 new coronavirus positive cases, which took its infection count to 7,04,629, while the death of two patients pushed the toll to 11,807, an official said on Friday. These cases and fatalities were reported on Thursday, he said. Thane's COVID-19 mortality rate is 1.67 per cent. In neighbouring Palghar district, the caseload has gone up to 1,62,532 and the death toll to 3,382, another official said. PTI
Single-day recoveries outnumbered fresh COVID-19 cases in Arunachal Pradesh, as 404 patients recuperated from the disease, while 226 people tested positive, a health department official said on Friday. The state's coronavirus tally rose to 63,119, and 60,632 people have so far been discharged from hospitals, he said. The death toll increased to 291, after a woman succumbed to the virus at a health facility on Thursday, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Lobsang Jampa said. Of the new cases, 61 infections were registered in the Capital Complex Region, 31 in Lower Subansiri, 23 in East Siang, 20 in Lohit, 16 in West Kameng and 13 in Tawang district. Arunachal Pradesh now has 2,196 active cases. – PTI
Jharkhand on Friday reported 523 fresh COVID-19 cases, 78 less than the previous day, as the tally mounted to 4,30,296, a health department bulletin said. The death toll rose to 5,308 as two more persons, one each from Ramgarh and Chatra districts, succumbed to the virus, it said. East Singhbhum district registered the highest number of new infections at 203, followed by state capital Ranchi (128) and Bokaro (38). Jharkhand now has 3,256 active cases, while 4,21,732 patients have recovered from the disease so far, the bulletin said. About two crore samples have been tested for COVID-19 till date, including 53,100 since Thursday, it added. PTI
India reports 1,49,394 fresh COVID cases (13% lower than yesterday), 2,46,674 recoveries, and 1072 deaths in the last 24 hours
Active cases: 14,35,569
Death toll: 5,00,055
Daily positivity rate: 9.27%
Total vaccination: 168.47 crore (ANI)
