Coronavirus News highlights: Haryana shuts cinema halls, sports complexes, swimming pools in Gurugram; Offices to function with half staff

Telangana government prohibits rallies, public meetings, and mass gatherings of all types; to strictly enforce fine of Rs 1,000 for not wearing of mask in public spaces. ( ANI )

. People in large numbers gathered at popular tourist spots in Kolkata and elsewhere in West Bengal to celebrate the new year on Saturday, while Covid-19 cases are rising alarmingly in the state.Revellers throng places such as the Alipore Zoo, Eco Park, Victoria Memorial and the Indian Museum in and around the metropolis, and sea beaches of Digha, Mandarmani, and Bakkhali. Read more

. The Delhi government will provide free and personalised online yoga classes to Covid-19 patients in home isolation to boost their immunity, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Saturday.

. Though the daily Covid infection rate is increasing leaps and bounds in West Bengal with the most infected in the capital city, the state government is likely to impose curbs in phases and is unlikely to go for a total lockdown.

. Haryana governmentcloses cinema halls, sports complexes, swimming pools, and entertainment parks in Gurugram, Faridabad andthree other districts.Government andprivate offices to function with 50 per centstaff attendance. Restrictions to remain in effect till January 12. ( ANI )

. West Bengal, which is witnessing a sudden spurt in Covid-19 cases for the last few days, on Saturday reported 4,512 fresh infections, 1,061 more than the previous day, with Kolkata accounting for 2,398 fresh cases, a health bulletin said. Read more

. Vaccination for children aged 15-18 years in Maharashtra to be inaugurated by State Minister Aditya Thackeray at Bandra Kurla CovidCentre in Mumbai on January 3

. In the backdrop of the spike inCovid-19 pandemic in the state, the West Bengal government on Saturday decided to postpone its scheduled 'Duare Sarkar' and Students' Credit Card programmes, a senior official said. The 'Duare Sarkar' programme was slated to be held on Sunday and the Students Credit Card programme was to be held in Netaji Indoor stadium in the city the next day. Both programmes have been postponed to a later date which will be announced after reviewing the situation, he said. ( PTI )

. Karnataka Minister B C Nagesh says he has tested positive for Covid-19.

"I have quarantined myself & are taking all the necessary precautions and medication required," he says

. Registration for vaccination of children againstCovid-19 in the 15-18 age group began in Delhi on Saturday, as centres here have geared up to start inoculating the younger population from January 3.

According to official documents shared by sources, the cohort size for vaccination in this category is 10 lakh as per theRegistrar General of India's figures.

. Bollywood actor Mrunal Thakur on Saturday said she has tested positive for coronavirus and has isolated herself.

The 29-year-old actor shared the news of herCovid-19 diagnosis on her Instagram Stories, saying that she currently has "mild symptoms".

. India needs to accelerate pace of its development in the new year and will not allow the challenges posed by theCovid-19 pandemic to dampen the growth process, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Saturday.

He stressed that the country will continue to fight the pandemic with "full caution and vigilance", and also take care of the national interest.

Speaking at the release of 10th instalment under the PM-KISAN scheme, Modi reeled out the achievements of the country during the pandemic-hit 2021 across sectors, like health, defence, agriculture, startup ecosystem and infrastructure.

. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday reported more than 75,900 new cases ofCovid-19 in Florida.

That tally raises the 7-day average daily to 42,600, which is twice as high as it was at the peak of this summer's surge when the delta variant fuelled a surge of infections in the state.

. The deadly second wave of theCovid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc in Delhi early last year, snuffing out many lives, burdening hospitals and doctors beyond their capacities even as the vaccination exercise injected some degree of confidence in a bid to bring life back on track.

However, just when the country and the capital city may have thought that they had put their worst behind them, fear of an imminent third wave now looms large with a surge in new infections ofCovid, and cases of the new Omicron variant of the virus, which is highly transmissible, might derail the recovery made in the last few months.

. Staycations, workations and homestays emerged as the tourism sector watchwords in 2021 as tourists preferred safety and functionality over luxury in their post-Covidholiday destinations with the sector struggling to recover from the blow of 2020.

With the threat of Omicron looming large in the horizon, fears of a bleak 2022 have come to haunt the stakeholders.

. More than ten ministers and at least 20 MLAs in Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus so far, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Saturday. Notably, Maharashtra on Friday reported 8,067 fresh coronavirus positive cases, as much as 50 per cent more than Thursday. "We cut short the Assembly session recently.So far, over 10 ministers and over 20 MLAs have tested positive for coronavirus"

. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday said whether furtherCovid-related restrictions need to be imposed in the national capital will be reviewed as hospital admissions are less, despite a rapid rise in coronavirus cases.

. New restrictions in England to slow the spread ofCovid-19 will only be introduced as a last resort, health minister Sajid Javid said, stressing that although hospitalisations were rising, the number of patients in intensive care was stable.

. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday that India will fight theCovid-19 pandemic with full caution and vigilance, and protect its national interests.

. India supplied 500,000 doses of the Covaxin Covid-19 vaccine to Afghanistan, the second tranche of humanitarian aid to war-torn country after its takeover by Taliban.

. According to The New York Times , studies on mice and hamstersindicated that Omicron produced less damaging infections to the lungs, and instead, was limited largely to the nose, throat, and windpipe. Previous variants causedscarring in the lungs and serious breathing difficulty, quoting NYT, The Times of Israel reported.

. Odisha reported 298 newCovid-19 cases on Saturday, the highest in more than a month, which took the tally to 1,055,132, the health department said in its bulletin.

. The Maharashtra health department has administered133,697,999 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines so far, including 80,145,157 first doses and43,442,842 second doses, according to government data.

. Puducherry recorded 22 new cases of coronavirus during the last 24 hours ending 9 am on Saturday, taking the total positives to 129,500.

. China ended its final week of 2021 with its biggest tally of local coronavirus cases for any seven-day period since subduing the country's first epidemic nearly two years ago, despite an arsenal of some of the world's toughestCovid-19 measures. The National Health Commission reported on Saturday 175 new community infections with confirmed clinical symptoms for December 31 that took the total number of local symptomatic cases in mainland China over the past week to 1,151.

. A total of 10 ministers and over 20 MLAs have tested positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said.

. Andaman and Nicobar Islands have reported eight newCovid-19 cases, five more than the previous day, with the tally rising to 7,728, a health department official said Saturday.

. A continuing coronavirus outbreak at Newcastle has led to Sunday's game at Southampton being postponed, the Premier League said. Newcastle's previous game against Everton scheduled for Thursday had also been called off.

. India on Friday recorded 22,775 new Covid-19 cases — which took the active caseload to 104,781 — with 8,949 recoveries and 406 deaths, according to government data. The Omicron case count reached 1,431, from 1,270 a day earlier, indicating detectionof 161 new cases of the variant.

. As many as 311 positive cases were recorded in Telangana over the past 24 hours, with the Omicron count reaching 67, of whom27 have recovered.

. As many as 1,796 new Covid-19 cases were reported in the national capital on Friday, with thepositivity rate currently at 2.44 per cent.

. The Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Dr Pradeep Vyas, Maharashtra, said that one shouldn't assume that Omicron is mild. "Don't be lulled by the narrative that 3rd wave/Omicron wave is mild and not fatal. It's equally fatal for those who are not vaccinated and have comorbidities. So please improve vaccination coverage and save lives," Vyas said.

. China reported 231 new confirmed coronavirus cases for December 31, up from 195 a day earlier, the country's health authority said on Saturday.

. Even as the country mobilises for child vaccinations, private hospitals may not be able to participate right off the bat, because of complications posed by the Centre’s ruling that label expired vials of Covaxin cannot be used.

. Despite a steadyuptick in daily Covid-19 cases in the past few days, the rate of hospitalisation in Bengaluru and the state is under control at the moment, officials said.

Coronavirus News highlights: Haryana shuts cinema halls, sports complexes, swimming pools in Gurugram; Offices to function with half staff

People throng popular tourist places in Bengal to celebrate new year amid Covid surge

Haryana Govt closes cinema halls, sports complexes, swimming pools, and entertainment parks in Gurugram

Delhi govt to offer free online yoga classes to Covid patients in home isolation

No lockdown in Bengal, government likely to impose curbs in phases as Covid cases surge

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