Coronavirus News Highlights: Jammu and Kashmir sees first set of Omicron cases as three test positive

India now has a total of 200 cases of Omicron variant. The World Health Organization has warned that the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly and infecting the vaccinated, while the variant has become the dominant strain in the United States. Stay tuned for live updates.

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Pfizer, Merck Covid pills likely to get FDA authorisation this week

The USFood and Drug Administration is poised to authorise a pair of pills from Pfizer Inc. and Merck & Co. to treat Covid-19 as soon as this week, according to people familiar with the matter – a milestone in the fight against the pandemic that will soon expand therapies for the ill.

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WHO approves Novavax as 10th authorised Covid vaccine

The World Health Organization on Tuesday approved a Covid vaccine made by US pharma giant Novavax for emergency use, after the European Union medicines regulator gave it the green light.

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J&K detects first set of Omicron cases; three test positive from Jammu locality

11 new cases of Omicron variant in Maharashtra

At least 64 cases of 4.2 variant of Covid reported in India as on Dec 16: Govt

At least 64 cases of 4.2 variant ofCovid-19 have been reported in the country as on December 16, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

These include 42 cases from Chhattisgarh, 11 from Gujarat, 4 from Tamil Nadu, 3 from Bihar, 2 from Assam and one case each from Maharashtra and Telangana.

NoCovid-19 case with AY4.2 variant has been reported from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Mandaviya said in a written reply.

US to offer free Covid tests as Omicron becomes dominant

The United States said Tuesday it will distribute hundreds of millions of freeCovidtests in the face of surging Omicron cases, which have forced governments worldwide to reimpose restrictions ahead of the holidays.

Washington also said Tuesday it will donate more than $500 million in internationalCovidaid to help countries battle the pandemic, while Israel announced tough new restriction on US travel.

New Year celebrations allowed in Puducherry, but follow Covid protocols: Governor

Delhi logs 102 new daily cases, 1 death (ANI)

34 cases of Omicron recorded in Delhi's LNJP hospital; 17 discharged: Satyendar Jain

New Year celebrations permitted in clubs, restaurants with 50% capacity; curbs in place from December 30 to January 2: CM Bommai

BSP MP Danish Ali who attended Lok Sabha on Monday tests positive for Covid-19

"Despite being fully vaccinated, today, I tested positive for Covid-19. Yesterday, I attended Parliament also," he said and requested all those who came in contact with him to get tested and isolate themselves. Read more

BSP MP Danish Ali tests positive for Covid

BSP MP Danish Ali who attended Lok Sabha proceedings on Monday has tested positive for Covid-19. The parliamentarian, who is fully vaccinated, has mild symptoms. Ali tweeted on Tuesday to say that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.(PTI)

4 UK travellers test coronavirus positive in Goa

Four passengers from the United Kingdom tested positive for coronavirus after arriving in Goa on Tuesday, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said. In the wake of scare regarding the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the Goa government has set up a special facility at a primary health centre (PHC) at Cansaulim in South Goa district where Covid-19 patients are kept while their samples are sent for genome sequencing to ascertain if they are infected with the new variant.(PTI)

Thailand reinstates mandatory Covid-19 quarantine, scraps waiver programme

Thailand will reinstate its mandatory Covid-19 quarantine for foreign visitors and scrap a quarantine waiver from Tuesday, a government spokeswoman said, due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.(Reuters)

Omicron's global spread prompts renewed lockdowns, delayed reopenings

New Zealand delayed the planned reopening of its international border because of the sweeping spread of Omicron around the world on Tuesday, as several other countries reimposed social distancing measures. Read more

Three of Delhi's Omicron positive have no travel history

Of the total Omicron positive cases in the city's Lok Nayak Jai Prakash hospital, three such cases do not have any travel history and have not been abroad, he said. Read more

Morocco bans New Year's Eve celebrations

Morocco has banned all New Year's Eve celebrations as part of measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a statement by the Moroccan government, the ban also includes parties and special events organised in hotels, restaurants and tourist establishments, reports Xinhua news agency. A night curfew on New Year's Eve will be implemented from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., the statement added. (IANS)

Moderna could be ready to develop Omicron booster in weeks, says CEO

Covid-19 vaccine maker Moderna does not expect any problems in developing a booster shot to protect against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and could begin work in a few weeks, Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in an interview.

Moderna hopes to start clinical trials early next year on a vaccine to protect against the fast-spreading Omicron variant but for now is focussing on a booster dose https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/moderna-says-booster-dose-its-covid-19-vaccine-appears-protective-vs-omicron-2021-12-20 of its current mRNA-1273 vaccine. (Reuters)

Resident doctors with Centre-run government hospitals participate in a protest called by the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA) over the delay in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET-PG) 2021 counselling, outside Nirman Bhawan, in New Delhi,India, December 20, 2021. Credit: Reuters Photo

77 new Covid-19 cases in Thane, no death

Thane has reported 77 new cases of coronavirus, pushing the infection tally in the Maharashtra district to 5,71,304, an official said on Tuesday. These new cases were recorded on Monday, he said. No new fatality due to the virus was reported, keeping the death toll in the district unchanged at 11,601, he said, adding that the Covid-19 mortality rate in Thane stood at 2.03 per cent.(PTI)

No fresh Covid-19 case in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

No fresh Covid-19 case was registered in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the last 24 hours, a health department official said on Tuesday. The Covid-19 tally in the union territory remained at 7,702, he said.

The archipelago now has only three active Covid-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district. The other two districts - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are coronavirus free, the official said. (PTI)

India now has a total of 200 cases of Omicron variant

India has a total of 200 cases of Omicron variant so far, saysMinistry of Health and Family Welfare.

League, players' body agree early holiday break amid Covid-19 cases

On the sports front, the National Hockey League (NHL) and its players' body have agreed to begin their holiday break after Tuesday's matches, they said in a joint statement.

Meanhwile, the European Commission on Monday authorised a Covid-19 vaccine made by Novavax, making it the fifth vaccine available in the 27 nations of the European Union. “At a time where the omicron variant is rapidly spreading, and where we need to step up vaccination and the administration of boosters, I am particularly pleased with today’s authorization of the Novavax vaccine,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said in a statement.

Nine out of 10 patients of Omicron in ICU in South Africa are unvaccinated: Dr Angelique Coetzee, who first detected Omicron - ANI

Gear up for third Covid-19 wave, BBMP tells private hospitals in Bengaluru

The BBMP has asked private hospitals and nursing homes in the city to start preparations to handle a possible surge in Covid cases.

In his meeting with the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Special Commissioner (Health) Dr K V Thrilok Chandra asked them to ensure they are ready to reserve beds for Covid patients.

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Omicron sweeps across US, accounting for 73% of Covid-19 cases

Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the US, accounting for 73 per cent of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday.

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Omicron spreading faster than first Covid-19 strain in India

India has registered 172 cases of Omicron in less than three weeks, with a top virologist stating that it is not an “insignificant number” and that many infections could be going unreported.

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