Coronavirus Omicron February 23 Live News: Kerala records 5,023 fresh COVID-19 cases, 188 deaths

Tamil Nadu reports 618 fresh cases, 2,153 recoveries, and 4 death, in the last 24 hours.

Active cases: 10,782 (ANI)

Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 1,151 fresh coronavirus cases and 23 fatalities linked to the infection, while 2,594 patients were discharged following recovery, the state health department said.

With this, the state's COVID-19 tally reached 78,61,468, while the death toll increased to 1,43,656, the department said in a bulletin.

On Tuesday, the state had recorded 1,080 cases and 47 fatalities.

Mumbai city recorded 168 fresh cases and Pune 186. Both the cities did not report any fatality linked to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the bulletin said.

Of the eight administrative circles, the Pune region recorded 360 fresh cases, followed by Mumbai (290), Nashik (181), Nagpur (105), Akola (75), Kolhapur (58), Latur (48) and the Aurangabad circle (34), it said.

Of the 23 fatalities, the Pune region recorded nine, followed by Nashik (five), Akola (four) and the Nagpur region (two). Latur, Kolhapur, Mumbai regions reported one death, the department said.

An administrative circle consists of multiple districts.

The bulletin said 1,00,562 coronavirus tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, taking their cumulative count to 7,74,84,141.

It said 2,594 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the number of recovered cases to 77,02,217 and leaving the state with 11,604 active cases.

The coronavirus recovery rate in the state is 97.97 per cent.

Currently, 1,64,050 people are in home quarantine and another 922 in institutional quarantine, the bulletin added.

Coronavirus figures of Maharashtra are as follows: Positive cases 78,61,468; new cases 1,151; death toll 1,43,656; active cases: 11,604; recoveries 77,02,217; total tests 7,74,84,141. (PTI)

Hong Kong reported a record 8,674 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, as authorities announced the toughest social restrictions since the pandemic began to combat the surge, and as the city prepares for compulsory testing of residents.

From Thursday residents will have to show their vaccine record to access venues including supermarkets, malls and restaurants, wear masks for all outdoor exercise, and they will not be allowed to remove masks to eat or drink on public transport.

Hong Kong is pursuing a “dynamic zero COVID” strategy similar to mainland China, aiming to eradicate any outbreaks at all costs instead of trying to live with the virus. The government said on Wednesday it wanted to “reduce the flow of people as much as possible.”

Health authorities reported 24 deaths, compared with Tuesday's 32 deaths and 6,211 new cases.

With the city's testing, treatment and isolation capacity already stretched to the maximum, University of Hong Kong researchers predicted new infections could peak at 180,000 a day next month.

“We are really at the limit,” Lau Ka-hin, chief manager for quality and standards of the Hospital Authority, an oversight department, told reporters.

Earlier on Wednesday, Finance Secretary Paul Chan unveiled tax breaks, handouts and subsidies to small businesses and residents, in a 2022/23 budget that aimed to mitigate the impact of curbs that will last at least until April 20.

With bars, gyms and other businesses already closed and shopping malls deserted while many residents work from home, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday that schools would break early for summer and resume the new year in August.

Parents reacted with dismay, saying they were concerned about their children's education and mental health.

Some school campuses could be used for testing and isolation as mandatory checks for infections begin next month. Residents would need to test three times, with the city of 7.4 million able to test about one million people a day, Lam said. Since 2020, Hong Kong has registered more than 70,000 COVID-19 infections and more than 350 deaths.

The new restrictions add to a slew of already stringent measures including a ban on gatherings of more than two people and the closure of dining in restaurants past 6.p.m. local time.

Many residents are feeling fatigued at the measures which are the most draconian since the pandemic over two years ago. Separately the city's Security Secretary Chris Tang would isolate at home for two weeks after his wife and domestic helper tested positive for the virus. Hundreds of civil servants and health authorities have been infected in recent weeks. (Reuters)

Kerala on Wednesday recorded 5,023 fresh COVID-19 infections which raised the total to 64,83,773 till date.

The southern State reported 188 deaths which raised the total fatalities to 64,591, according to an official press release.

Of the deaths, 13 were reported in the last 24 hours, 54 were those which occurred in the last few days but were not recorded due to late receipt of documents and 121 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court, the release said.

With 11,077 more people recovering since Tuesday, the total recoveries reached 63,71,030 and the active cases dropped to 47,354, the release said.

As many as 61,612 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.

Among the 14 districts, Ernakulam recorded the highest with 825 cases followed by Kozhikode (574) and Thiruvananthapuram (574), the release said.

Of the new cases, 41 were health workers, 16 from outside the State and 4,646 infected through contact with the source of it not being clear in 320, the release said.

There are currently 1,35,857 people under surveillance in various districts, of whom 1,32,929 are in home or institutional quarantine and 2,928 in hospitals, the release said. (PTI)

Kerala records 5,023 fresh COVID-19 cases, infection tally jumps to 64,83,773, death toll mounts to 64,591 with 188 new fatalities; active case count 47,354: Health department (PTI)