Coronavirus highlights: Karnataka reports 5 new Omicron cases; tally rises to 43

The World Health Organization reiterated that the Omicron variant still poses a high risk even as France reported over 2 lakh cases today. Meanwhile, two new clusters were found in Bengaluru, putting authorities on high alert. Karnataka reported 5 new Omicron cases, while Gujarat reported 19 new cases of the variant. Stay tuned to DH for live updates.

Covovax better booster for Covishield-vaccinated people: Virologist

Of the vaccines against Covid-19 approved in India, Covovax would be a better booster for those who were administered Covishield jabs than another dose of the same vaccine, according to the data available presently, noted virologist Dr Shahid Jameel said.

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Maharashtra reports 3,900 Covid-19 caes; 89 Omicron variant cases

Banks' bad loans may rise to 9.5% by September 2022: RBI

After falling to a six-year low of 6.9% this year, bad loans across all banks may rise to 9.5% by September next year under severe stress conditions, the Reserve Bank of India’s stress test on scheduled commercial banks revealed on Wednesday.

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Karnataka reports 5 new Omicron cases; tally rises to 43

Rajasthan Cabinet decides to make Covid vaccination mandatory for entry into public places after Jan 31

Dehradun administration mandates negative Covid certificate not older than 72 hours for entry into the district - ANI

Govt allows export of 7 crore Covovax vaccine doses to Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand

The Indian government has permitted the export of 7 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine ‘Covovax’ produced by Serum Institute of India here to Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand, official sources said on Wednesday.

Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII), Prakash Kumar Singh had submitted an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), seeking no objection to export the vaccine doses to the foreign countries, official source said. - PTI.

As Covid-19 cases rise in Goa, health minister Rane seeks emergency meet

Goa on Wednesday reported 170 Covid-19 cases, up from 112 a day earlier, leading to state health minister Vishwajit Rane asking the Directorate of Health Services and GMCH to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the situation and find solutions.

“In view of the rising Covid-19 cases, there has been a significant jump from 112 (28th December) to 170 today, similar to the rise that occurred in April-May 2021. I have suggested to Dir. DHS and Dean GMC to convene an emergency meeting with expert doctors to suggest measures,” he tweeted. - PTI.

France tops 200,000 daily Covid cases in new record: minister

France has recorded more than 200,000 cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, a new daily record, Health Minister Olivier Veran said Wednesday as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread.

Veran told a parliamentary hearing that 208,000 positive cases had been recorded, up from 179,807 cases reported on Tuesday. - AFP.

Gujarat reports 19 new Omicron cases, state tally reaches 97 - ANI

No 'amber' alert in Delhi for now, says DDMA

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday decided not to impose restrictions under 'amber' alert as of now and continue with the guidelines under 'yellow' alert amid rising Covid-19 cases in the national capital.

This decision was taken after Lt Governor Anil Baijal chaired a virtual review meeting of the DDMA also attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Delhi government on Tuesday declared a yellow or Level 1 alert, which as per the Graded Action Response Plan (GRAP) kicks in if the Covid-19 positivity rate is over 0.5 per cent for two consecutive days.

The GRAP, approved by the DDMA in July this year, decides which activities would be allowed under what circumstances in case of a surge in Covid-19 cases. - IANS.

Pvt coaching institutes in Delhi shut till further orders, online classes can continue

Private coaching institutions in the national capital will be closed till further orders due to rapid increase in number of Covid-19 cases but online cases can continue, the Directorate of Education (DoE) said on Wednesday.

The Delhi Disaster management Authority (DDMA) had yesterday enforced yellow alert in Delhi following spike in Covid cases amid emergence of Omicron variant. Schools and colleges were announced to be shut under the yellow alert. - PTI.

RBI flags Omicron threat to growth; says banks strong enough to face challenges

Though the economy has steadily gained momentum and remained resilient since the second quarter of the current fiscal, the Omicron variant of coronavirus remains the major challenge along with rising inflation pressures, says the Reserve Bank in its second financial stability report.

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Mumbai reports 2,510 Covid cases, one death and 251 recoveries today

Court allows new year celebrations in Pondy, imposes restrictions on sale of liquor

The Madras High Court on Wednesday allowed New Year celebrations in neighbouring Puducherry, but imposed restrictions on the sale of liquor.

The Bench of Justices S Vaidyanathan and D Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the order on a petition from G A Jagannathan, a resident of Puducherry, seeking a ban on the celebrations citing the Covid spread. He pointed out neighbouring Tamil Nadu and other states, including Karnataka, had not given the nod to the celebrations. - PTI.

Uttarakhand reports 38 new Covid cases, 42 recoveries, and one death today, taking active cases to 222 and death toll to 7417: State Health Department

Boris Johnson says people without Covid boosters ending up in hospital

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to come forward to have a Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, saying the overwhelming majority of people in intensive care in hospital with the disease had not received their booster.

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DMRC says it has deployed 15 flying squads across Delhi Metro network to ensure that Covid safety protocol is strictly adhered to by passengers inside trains & premises - ANI

Coronavirus rising after changing form, says Shah; tells masses, administration to be alert

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the coronavirus pandemic cannot be controlled until the masses become aware and follow the guidelines issued by the government. He also appealed to those in the 15-18 age group to get themselves vaccinated at the earliest when their turn begins from January 3. - PTI.

Rise of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra 'alarming', says Rajesh Tope

Describing the sudden zooming of Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra as “alarming”, state public health and family welfare minister Rajesh Tope said that infections are multiplying and the positivity rate is shooting up.

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Last week we were reporting 150 cases per day, now we are reporting around 2,000 cases per day. Mumbai may cross 2,000 per day cases today: Aditya Thackeray

19 Covid cases reported in CAPF, Centre asks for strict protocol

The 19 coronavirus cases reported in the last 24 hours in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have triggered an alarm bell among the security forces and the Union Home Ministry has directed them to strictly follow the Covid protocol.

Sources in the forces said that amid the rising number of the Covid new variant Omicron, all CAPFs have been asked to maintain social distancing, wear masks compulsorily and random testing of the troopers in all units and field formations. - IANS.

Clear data supporting very high immune escape potential of Omicron: INSACOG

There is now clear experimental and clinical data supporting very high immune escape potential of Omicron, but initial estimates show the severity of illness being lower than what was seen in previous outbreaks, the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia INSACOG said in its latest bulletin citing global data. - PTI.

Rajasthan reports 23 Omicron cases today. The total number of Omicron cases stands at 69 (ANI)

Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Delhi, Health Minister Satyendar Jain says many international travellers, who have tested negative at airport, are testing positive after a few days and infecting their family members during the period.

UK return youth tests positive for Omicron in Uttar Pradesh

Omicron infection has been confirmed in a youth who recently returned here from abroad, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old, resident of Uska police station area here, lives in Britain.

Rise in active Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra alarming, says state Health Minister Rajesh Tope

Rhea Kapoor, husband Karan Boolani test positive for Covid-19

Producer Rhea Kapoor on Wednesday said she and her filmmaker husband Karan Boolani have tested positive forCOVID-19 and are currentlyunder isolation.

Rhea, the daughter of Bollywood veteran Anil Kapoor, took to Instagram and wrote that she contracted the virus despite being extremely careful.

There are reports that Rhea's cousins -- actor Arjun Kapoor andAnshula -- have also tested positive forCovid-19. But there has been no confirmation at the moment.

NCP MP Supriya Sule and her husband tested positive for Covid-19.

Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, Mayor Kishori Pednekar and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal attended a meeting today to discuss the prevailing Covid situation in Mumbai

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee holds administrative review meeting at Ganga Sagar, South 24 Paraganas A decision needs to be taken on the international flights coming to Kolkata. As of now, we are not reducing the number of trains due to Ganga Sagar Mela, CM says.

Start identifying containment zones in Kolkata as Covid-19 cases are on rise there: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to officials during administrative review meeting

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee asks officials to review Covid-19 situation, says schools and colleges could be shut down for some time if necessary

Puducherry to allow New Year celebrations despite Omicron scare

Containment zone returns in Chennai, as Omicron cases rise to 45, TN Minister says no need to panic

With the National Institute of Virology confirming 11 more cases of Omicron in Tamil Nadu, thus taking the total number to 45, State Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Wednesday said there was no need to panic as all the cases detected so far are asymptomatic.

Moreover, they all had availed two doses of theCovid-19 vaccine, he said.

Asserting that the present situation is not alarming, the Minister said the emphasis should be more onCovid-19 appropriate behaviour and people should come forward to get vaccinated to shield themselves from Coronavirus and its variants.

I-League hit by Covid outbreak, at least seven players test positive

he continuation of I League was on Wednesday thrown into doubt after multipleCovid-19 cases were reported among participating teams, staying and competing inside a bio-bubble.

It has been learnt that more than 10 participants, including at least seven players have tested positive for the virus.

Five players from Real Kashmir FC and at least one each from Mohammedan Sporting and debutants Sreenidi Deccan FC were among those who returned positive in the tests conducted on Tuesday.

"Five players and three officials from Real Kashmir and at least one player each from Mohammedan Sporting and Sreenidi Deccan FC are among those positive cases," a top league source told PTI.

46 Omicron cases have been registered in Rajasthan, 30 in Jaipur: CMHO Jaipur

Poland reports highest daily number of Covid-related deaths in fourth wave

Poland reported 794Covid-related deaths on Wednesday, the highest daily number in the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Deputy Minister of Health Waldemar Kraska said on private television Polsat News.

Poland has been dealing with persistently high daily case numbers in a fourth wave that has forced authorities to tighten restrictions. On Wednesday, Poland reported 15,571 new coronavirus cases.

Covid positivity rate around 1% with 496 new cases reported yesterday: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain

"The cases have increased with the arrival of international flights. Not a single Omicron patient has required oxygen support so far", he said.

Vaccination certificate a must for Magh Mela entry in UP

With the countdown to the annual Magh Mela on, the Yogi Adityanath government has issued an advisory to seers, saints and devotees arriving at the Mela township to come with a complete vaccination certificate.

The Mela administration has also made wearing of masks mandatory during their stay in the township.

According to Mela officials, medical teams are being deployed at all 15 entry points for ensuring Covid protocols. There would be vaccination and Covid testing centres at all first aid posts in the township. Besides, there would be regular testing and checking at the camps.

UP declared Covid affected state

As new cases have continued to surge, Uttar Pradesh has been declared as Covid-19-affected state.

Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said that an order has been issued after assessing the situation.

He said that under Section 3 of the Uttar Pradesh Public Health and Epidemic Control Act, 2020, the entire state has been declared as Covid-affected.

Global Covid caseload tops 282.7 mn

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 282.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 5.41 million and vaccinations to over 9.02 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and the death toll stood at 282,776,134 and 5,413,836, respectively, while the total number of vaccine doses administered has increased to 9,027,898,645.

PM to hold Council of Ministers meet today; Omicron, polls on agenda

PM Modi will hold a meeting with the Council of Ministers today at 4 pm. Omicron and upcoming Assembly polls are expected to be on agenda.

Australia's Omicron outbreak strains testing clinics as cases hit records

Australia's Covid-19 infections surged to a fresh record on Wednesday due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, overwhelming testing facilities in the country's most populous state.

The crush at testing facilities in New South Wales, home to Australia's largest city, Sydney, has been partly blamed on neighbouring state Queensland requiring interstate tourists to return a negative PCR test result before arriving. (Reuters)

No more Covid restrictions in MP for now: Govt

The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday said no more Covid-related restrictions will be imposed in the state for now.

A decision in the regard was taken during a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to review the Covid-19 situation in the state.

"A mass campaign to vaccinate the youth between 15 to 18 years will be started soon across the state and they will be administered Covaxin only. Observing the current situation of Covid-19, the government, as of now, has decided not to impose more restrictions. All activities continued to run at its full length in the state," the state government said in an official communication on Tuesday.

Night curfew: 411 challans issued for violating Covid norms in Delhi

More than 4,00 FIRs were registered and 754 challans were issued for violations of Covid-appropriate behaviour during the first day of night curfew imposed across the national capital amid rising cases of coronavirus infections, the Delhi Police said.

The curfew is imposed from 11 pm to 5 am and according to a data shared by the Delhi Police for Monday-Tuesday, 411 FIRs under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 754 challans were issued to those violating Covid guidelines.

Three more A-League games postponed as Covid-19 outbreak grows

Three more A-League matches have been postponed due to Covid-19 cases, the Australian Professional Leagues said on Wednesday.

Central Coast Mariners' meeting with Macarthur FC on Friday, Saturday's clash between Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City, and Sunday's game between Melbourne Victory and Brisbane Roar have all been postponed.

"Our primary concern is for the health, wellbeing and safety of all players, staff and their families," the APL said in a statement. (Reuters)

England and Wales report record 129,741 Covid cases

England and Wales on Tuesday reported nearly 130,000 new coronavirus infections, a record daily tally as Omicron variant cases surge and the responses of the UK's four nations continue to diverge.

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Karnataka has to vaccinate 31.75 lakh teens, 15.31 lakh comorbid elderly

Karnataka has a target of vaccinating 31,75,000 teenagers, aged 15 to 17 years, and jabbing 15,31,600 senior citizens, aged above 60 years with comorbidities.

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Omicron risk remains 'very high': WHO

The risk posed by the Omicron variant is still "very high", the World Health Organization said Wednesday, after Covid-19 case numbers shot up by 11 percent globally last week.

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