Coronavirus News Highlights: Tamil Nadu steps up vigil, screens 37 international passengers

Follow the latest developments on the Covid-19 situation in India and the world with DH.

Maharashtra records 38 new Covid-19 case, zero fatality; active tally at 136

Mumbai logs 10 new Covid-19 cases; active tally at 44

Millions getting infected by Covid-19 in China

As hospitals and morgues in China are overwhelmed by millions of Covid cases, official data projected that millions have been infected since December 1 while the government has permitted the opening up of “Internet Hospitals” for the affected people to seek medical help to reduce the overload on clinics.

Union Health Secretary writes to secretaries of States and UTs regarding conducting mock drills at all health facilities across the country on December 27

Tamil Nadu steps up vigil, screens 37 international passengers for Covid-19

The Tamil Nadu government stepped up vigil amidst a sudden surge in Coronavirus cases in some parts of the world and on Saturday 37 passengers who arrived at the international airport here were screened for Covid-19.

Hong Kong leader aims to reopen border with China next month

Hong Kong's leader said Saturday that China has agreed to a reopening of the city's border with the mainland, which has been largely closed by pandemic restrictions, and that he is aiming for a mid-January start.

Aundha Nagnath temple authorities urge people to wear masks

The authorities at Aundha Nagnath temple in Maharashtra's Hingoli, considered one of the 12 'jyotirlingas' in the country, have requested people to use face masks amid a scare of a spike in Covid-19 cases.

Passengers arriving at Khajuraho airport to be screened for coronavirus

Passengers arriving at Khajuraho Airport in Madhya Pradesh will be screened for coronavirus if they show symptoms of the infection, an official said on Saturday.

Wear masks, Tuljapur temple authorities urge staff, devotees Aurangabad

The Osmanabad district administration has appealed to devotees and staff at the renowned Tuljapur Temple to wear masks on the premises amid a scare from the BF.7 sub variant of Omicron and chances of a spike in Covid-19 cases, an official said on Saturday.

Covid-19 is out of Maharashtra. There are only 132 Covid patients in the state. There is nothing to fear, says Minister Tanaji Sawant

Random sampling of international arrivals for Covid-19 and thermal scanning being done at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad

Covid-19: Karnataka CM says no need to panic, but follow safety norms

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday appealed to the people not to panic but exercise caution, amid rise in Covid-19 cases in certain countries and said his government has taken adequate measures to manage the situation. Speaking to reporters here, Bommai said, “We will continuously monitor the situation, but there is no need to panic.(PTI)

Covid-19 testing underway in Kingkoti District Hospital, Hyderabad

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare writes to all States/UTs to ensure a functional and regular supply of medical oxygen for Covid-19 pandemic management

Random Covid testing of international arriving passengers at Hyderabad airport begins

The random coronavirus testing of international passengers arriving at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here began on Saturday as the authorities stepped up measures to prevent possible spread of the virus in the country.(PTI)

J’khand CM to hold high level meeting on Covid-19 on Dec 26

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is likely to hold a high-level meeting on December 26 to review the state government's preparations for Covid-19 situation, an official said on Saturday.

Several countries including China are witnessing a surge in Covid-19 infection, which is believed to be driven by BF.7 sub-variant of Omicron.(PTI)

Air Suvidha form filling to declare current health status to be made compulsory for international passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand

RT-PCR test to be mandatory for international arrivals from China, Japan, S. Korea, Hong Kong & Thailand: Mandaviya

Covid cases rising in China,Korea & Japan but Cong is bothered about only one family: Union minister Anurag Thakur

India doesn't need to ban international flights or impose lockdown under present Covid scenario: Experts

India's presentCovidscenario does not warrant restricting international flights or imposing a lockdown, but there is a need for strengthened surveillance and vigilance in view of the rise in cases in some countries, experts have said.

They also said that a fresh outbreak of severeCovidcases and hospitalisation is unlikely as people in India have the advantage of 'hybrid immunity' i.e. natural immunity due to infection reinforced by vaccination. (PTI)

Covid: Random testing of international arriving passengers begins at Delhi airport

The random coronavirus testing of international arriving passengers started at Delhi airport on Saturday as the authorities step up measures to prevent possible spread of the infection in the country.

Two per cent of passengers arriving in each international flight will be subject to random coronavirus testing at airports from Saturday.(PTI)

China's propaganda machine sputters in zero-Covid reversal

China's state media is struggling and censors are working overtime as Beijing gropes for a coherent narrative in the wake of the sudden reversal of its hallmark zero-Covidpolicy.

For years, the country's propaganda apparatus hailed zero-Covidas proof of the superiority of the Communist Party's authoritarian rule and the wisdom of powerful President Xi Jinping.(AFP)

India records 201 new Covid-19 infections; active cases rise to 3,397

India reported 201 new coronavirus infections, raising the tally to 4.46 crore, while the active cases increased to 3,397, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The death toll stands at 5,30,691 with one fatality reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am by the ministry stated. The daily positivity was recorded at 0.15 per cent and the weekly positivity at 0.14 per cent.(PTI)

Chinese city seeing half a million Covid cases a day: official

Half a million people in a single Chinese city are being infected with Covid-19 every day, a senior health official has said, in a rare and quickly censored acknowledgement that the country's wave of infections is not being reflected in official statistics.(AFP)

Thane records one new Covid-19 case; active tally seven

Thane district of Maharashtra recorded one new coronavirus positive case, which took its overall tally to 7,47,388, a health official said on Saturday. With the addition of this case on Friday, there are now seven active cases in the district, he said, adding that the death toll remained unchanged at 11,967. The recovery figure stood at 7,36,179, the official said.(PTI)

Sanitisers, gloves, masks in demand again in Bengaluru

Sanitisers and masks are on demand once again following a government advisory to mask up in closed spaces and practice safety measures.

Read more

States to undertake mock drill to ensure operational readiness of Covid-dedicated facilities

The Centre on Friday asked the states to carry out “dry runs” across hospitals on Dec 27 to check their Covid preparedness besides rolling out an intranasal vaccine as a precautionary third dose amidst reports suggesting one to two million Covid deaths in China within the next few months due to a new SARS-CoV-2 variant that is spreading like a wildfire.

Read more

Bengaluru short of Covid booster shots, seeks 5 lakh vaccine doses

Bengaluru seems to be short of booster dosages amid a surging demand as people rush to get the vaccination.

Read more

China reports zero new Covid deaths

China reported zero new Covid-19 deaths for Dec. 23, the same number as the previous day, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.

The country reported 4,128 new symptomatic Covid-19 infections on Dec. 23 , compared with 3,761 a day earlier.

Excluding imported infections, China reported 4,103 new local cases, up from 3,696 a day earlier. - Reuters.