Assam reports 2 new Covid-19 deaths, 93 fresh cases
Assam's Covid-19 tally rose to 6,20,025 as 93 more people tested positive for the infection on Friday while two new fatalities pushed the death toll to 6,155, the National Health Mission (NHM) bulletin said.
Daily Covid-19 infection drops below 600 in TN; 597 new cases, 7 fatalities reported
After hovering over 600 newCovid-19 cases a day, Tamil Nadu has added 597 infections to the caseload which is 27,42,821 till date, the Health Department said on Friday.
Over 2,000 flights cancelled as Omicron hits holiday travel
According to tracking website Flightaware.com at 1540 GMT on Friday, a total of 2,118 flights had been cancelled worldwide, including 500 flights originating from or headed to US airports, and over 5,700 delayed.
Nashik sees 48 Covid-19 cases, no death; 60 recover
The Covid-19 tally in Nashik district of Maharashtra reached 4,13,481 with the addition of 48 cases on Friday, while the death toll remained unchanged at 8,748, an official said.
UK reports new record of 122,186 Covid cases
Britain reported a new record 122,186 new cases ofCovid-19 on Friday, up from 119,789 on Thursday.
Man found omicron-positive after returning to Kolkata from Ireland
A 24-year-old man who returned from Ireland to Kolkata was on Friday found to be infected with the omicron variant of coronavirus, health officials said. At present, West Bengal has three omicron patients who are undergoing treatment, they said.
Tamil actor Vadivelu in hospital after testing Covid positive
Eight more tested positive for Omicron in Kerala, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 37
State of affairs frightening; people flowing like river in Sarojini Nagar market, could lead to stampede: Delhi HC
The state of affairs, be it Covid or non-Covid, is "frightening" as people are "flowing like a river" which could lead to stampede and death of hundreds, the Delhi High Court said on Friday while taking note of overcrowding in Sarojini Nagar market w...
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Japan approves use of Merck's Covid-19 pill
Japan has approved theCovid-19 pill developed by USpharmaceutical company Merck & Co. for use beginning next week, the Japanese health minister said on Friday.
Madhya Pradesh sees 32 Covid-19 cases, 1 death; over 2.82 lakh vaccine doses given on Friday
Maharashtra govt impose new Covid guidelines
From 9 PM to 6 AM, gatherings of more than 5 people are prohibited in public locations across the state; indoor weddings are limited to 100 guests, whileoutdoor weddings are limited to 250 guests; gyms, spas, hotels, theatres, and movie halls are limited to 50 per centcapacity.
India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage has crossed the 140 crore mark today with more than 59 lakh vaccine doses have been administered till 7 pm today: Government
Chandigarh: Only fully-vaccinated allowed in hotels, public places
The Chandigarh administration on Friday banned those not fully-vaccinated againstCovid-19 from public places, including hotels, bars, cinemas and banks.
Gujarat reports 98 new cases and 3 deaths today
13 fresh Omicron cases reported in the state today, a total of 43 cases so far
Maharashtra reports 1,410 new cases, 12 deaths and 868 discharges today; Active caseload stands at 8,426
20 new cases of Omicron reported in the state today, takes case tally to 108. Out of these, 54 cases have been discharged following a negative RT PCR test
US State Dept to temporarily drop an in-person interview requirement for certain temporary employment non-immigrant visa applicants
With the stretch of Covid-19; H-1B, L-1 & O-1 visa applicants are not required to do an in-person interview, said the US State Department
Show restraint, avoid large congregations: Delhi HC appeals ahead of Christmas, New Year
The Delhi High Court on Friday appealed to the people to show restraint and avoid large congregations in view of the rising number of Covid-19 cases as it took on record the city disaster management body's decision to permit the opening of religious places on Christmas and New Year's eve.
All international passengers arriving from Dubai who are Mumbai residents to compulsorily undergo 7-day home quarantine, RT-PCR on Day 7
"International arrivals residing in other parts of Maharashtra not allowed to take public transport, vehicles will be arranged for them," added BMC
Night curfew to be in force in Gujarat
Night curfew to be in force from 11pm to 5am daily in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar and Junagadh from 25th December, in view of current Covid-19 situation: Gujarat Chief Minister's Office
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan chairs a Covid-review meeting in Bhopal
"MP ranks no.1 in 2nd dose vaccine inoculation. Ensure the completing of everyday testing target & arrangements of institutional isolation," he said
Unvaccinated people cannot enter public places from January 1 in Haryana: State govt
The state government is also considering imposing night curfew from 11 PM- 5 AM.
Mumbai reports 683 new Covid-19 infections, 1 death today; Active cases at 3,227. Recovery rate at 97%
Goa reports 67 Covid-19 cases, no death; active tally now 453
Covid-19 outbreak claims another Premier League match
A coronavirus outbreak at Everton has forced the postponement of the club's match at Burnley, the Premier League said Friday. It's the third match of the Boxing Day lineup to be postponed as part of a Sunday program that still features six games.
Covid-19: What is Delmicron?
As India is ascertaining the threat from the latest “more infectious” Omicron variant of Covid-19, reports of something called “Delmicron” have emerged in the past few days.
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Pressure mounts on India to begin boosters as Omicron spreads
India's government faces a growing clamor from business leaders and public health experts to launch a Covid-19 booster drive and begin vaccinating children as the nation braces for a surge of Omicron-fueled infections.
Names of living persons found in list of Covid-19 deceased in Maharashtra district
In a goof-up, the names of two persons, who are still alive, have figured in the list of those who died due to Covid-19 infection in Ambejogai tehsil of Maharashtra's Beed district, an official said on Friday. The list of the deceased has been prepared by revenue department based on the information given by the district health department, the official said.
Delhi reports 180 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours
The active caseload stands at 782, test positivity at 0.29%
Bhutan starts giving Covid-19 booster shots
Bhutan has started givingCovid-19 booster shots to senior citizens and priority groups as the Himalayan kingdom tries to stave off the Omicron variant, health ministry officials said on Friday.
Omicron evades vaccine, antibodies therapies: Study
The highly transmissible Omicron variant ofCovid-19 has the potential to evade the immune protection conferred by vaccines and natural infection, as well as render most monoclonal antibody therapy ineffective, according to a new study.
There was a 10 fold increase in oxygen demand from 1st wave to 2nd wave: Rajesh Bhushan
18,800 metric tonnes of medical oxygen per day has been arranged for; cause of concern is 11 states where vaccination coverage is less than the national average, he added
Predominant strain in India continues to be Delta; need to continue with Covid-appropriate behaviour and ramp up vaccination: Govt
Of 183 Omicron cases analysed so far, 91% were fully vaccinated with three having booster shots, 70% were asymptomatic, 61% were males: Govt
Kejriwal hails Covid warriors as first dose of vaccine given to all eligible people in Delhi
First dose ofCovidvaccine has been administered to all people eligible for inoculation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday while hailing the healthcare and frontline workers who have been at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic.
Omicron has significant growth advantage over Delta, spreading fast through communities with doubling time of 1.5 to 3 days: Govt quoting WHO
South Africa scraps isolation for those without Covid symptoms
South Africans without symptoms of Covid-19 will no longer need to isolate or test if they have been in contact with a positive case, the government announced on Friday, saying developments around the virus justified a shift from containment measures towards mitigation.
89% of the adult population has received the first dose: Rajesh Bhushan
"61 per cent of the eligible population has received the second dose of Covid-19 vaccines," he added.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare preemptively advised states on 21st December -to impose restrictions: Union Health secretary
He said that night curfews, regulating large gatherings. increase bed capacity and other logistics and strict enforcement of Covid appropriate behavior has been advised to states
Cases in Kerala and Mizoram, a concern: Union Health Secretary
He added that the Omicron variant has been found in 108 countries and1.51 lakh cases have been confirmed.
The top five states with the highest number of active cases, at the moment, are Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Karnataka: Union Health Secretary
"358 Omicron cases in 17 States/UTs of India. The number of persons recovered is 114," he said.
The world is witnessing the fourth surge & and the overall positivity is 6.1%: Union Health Secretary
"While Europe, North America & Africa are seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases week-on-week, Asia is still witnessing a decline in cases week-on-week," he added.
UK PM Johnson uses Christmas message to push Covid-19 boosters
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday used his annual Christmas message to push the “get boosted now” message for protection against Covid-19, amid an ongoing surge in cases of the Omicron variant in the country.
Puducherry adds 20 fresh Covid-19 cases; no fatalities for 5th straight day
Tokyo reports 1st community transmission of Omicron
Tokyo authorities on Friday reported the Japanese capital's first case of the Omicron Covid-19 variant reported in the community with no known travel history.
France recommends Covid booster jab 3 months after initial vaccines
France on Friday recommended that adults receive a Covid-19 booster vaccination three months after their initial jabs, reducing the current guideline of five months to better fight the Omicron variant.
Odisha govt imposes restrictions for Christmas, New Year celebrations
With the detection of four Omicron cases, the Odisha government has imposed restrictions on Christmas and New Year celebrations. Odisha Chief Secretary SCMahapatra on Friday issued an order, which will remain in force from December 25, 2021 to January 2, 2022.
Uncertainty over panchayat elections in MP, CM calls meeting
As Covid-19 cases rise across the country, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Friday sought postponement of the panchayat elections in the state.
Booster protection fades within 10 weeks against Omicron: UK study
While countries are racing to administer booster shots to protect against the Omicron variant of Covid-19, a new study released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has shown that protection wanes even after taking the third dose of a vaccine within 10 weeks.
Kareena Kapoor Khan tests negative for Omicron
Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan's genome sequencing report for Omicron is negative: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
South Africa to roll out Covid-19 boosters immediately
South Africa will start offering booster shots of Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) Covid-19 vaccine from Friday, the health department said in a statement, following its approval for use as a booster by the health regulator a day earlier.
Delhi completes 100% first dose vaccinations: CM Arvind Kejriwal
358 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus detected in India so far: Union Health Ministry
India recorded 122 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in a span of 24 hours, the highest so far, pushing its tally in the country to 358, 114 of which have recovered or migrated, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
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NZ reports 62 new cases of Delta Covid variant
New Zealand reported 62 new cases of the Delta Covid-19 variant on Friday, increasing the country's overall infection tally to 13,719, according to the Ministry of Health.
Thailand reports first Omicron cluster, cancels some New Year events
Night curfew to be imposed in Uttar Pradesh from December 25 from 11 pm-5 am.
Not more than 200 people allowed in weddings.
2 more Omicron cases reported in Andhra Pradesh; state tally at 4
(ANI)
Fresh Covid curbs likely in Maharashtra amid Omicron scare
The Maharashtra government has decided to impose fresh restrictions in the state to avoid crowding in view of the rising cases of Covid-19, and it will issue guidelines regarding these curbs, an official said on Friday.
Third Covid wave to peak in February: IIT Kanpur researchers
Researchers at IIT Kanpur (IIT-K) have predicted that a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, which may be triggered by the new Omicron variant, may peak in India by February 3, 2022.
A report, published in the online preprint health server MedRxiv, said: "Following the trends around the world, this project report forecasts India's third wave may start around mid-December and peak in the beginning of February."
People visit Juhu beach during the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, in Mumbai.
(Reuters)
New Year curbs: Bengaluru eateries fear losing business on ‘biggest night of the year’
Restaurants and pubs are upset about the prospect of losing business on the "biggest night of the year" after the government restricted New Year celebrations to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Allahabad HC urges Centre to postpone polls amid Omicron scare
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday urged the central government to stop political rallies from being held in election-bound states amid rising cases of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19.'
India reports 6,650 new coronavirus cases, 374 deaths
India on Friday recorded 6,650 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of cases to 3,47,72,626. The death toll climbed to 4,79,133 with 374 fresh fatalities.
Uddhav Thackeray interacted with Covid-19 task force in the wake of Omicron threat
WHO aims for 70% coverage of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide by mid-2022
Achievement of 70% coverage with Covie-19 vaccines in all countries as a global imperative by mid-2022. All countries to work with COVAX with considerable urgency to optimize the strategic use of the growing vaccine supply, saysIndependent Allocation of Vaccines Group of COVAX, WHO
Amid Covid-19 concerns, US expands interview waivers for H-1B, L-1 visas
United, Delta cancel more than 200 US Christmas Eve flights amid Covid surge
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines on Thursday said they had each canceled dozens of Christmas Eve flights, as the spreadingCovid-19 Omicron variant takes a toll on its flight crews and other workers.
Chicago-based United canceled 120 flights for Friday, while Atlanta-based Delta said it has canceled about 90. Both said they were working to contact passengers so they would not be stranded at airports.
Ahead of Christmas & New Year celebrations, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner, in a fresh order, says anyone found violating state govt's guidelines on Covid will be booked under Section 188 of IPC - ANI
Australia to shorten wait time for Covid boosters
Australia would further shorten the wait time for people to receive their Covid-19 booster shots, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Friday, as the country grapples with record infections fuelled by the Omicron variant.