People celebrate Republic Day in Delhi while wearing face masks. (Express Photo: Tashi Tobgyal)Coronavirus Omicron India Highlights: An ICMR study has demonstrated that individuals infected with Omicron have significant immune response which could neutralise not only the Omicron, but also other variants of concern, including the most prevalent Delta variant. It suggests that the immune response induced by the Omicron could effectively neutralise the Delta variant, making the re-infection with Delta variant less likely, thereby displacing the Delta as dominant strain, the study said emphasising upon the need for Omicron-specific vaccine strategy.
India reported 2.85 lakh (2,85,914) new Covid-19 cases and 665 deaths in the 24 hours ending 9 am Wednesday. The country has 22.23 lakh active cases, 5.55 per cent of its caseload. The daily positivity rate is 16.16 per cent, while the recovery rate is 93.23 per cent. In the last 24 hours, 17.69 lakh tests were conducted. And, India has administered 163.58 crore vaccine doses so far. While a few cities recorded a uptick in infections, may saw a sharp fall as well. Today’s Covid-19 numbers from the major metro cities are: Mumbai (1,858 cases), Delhi (7,498 cases), Bengaluru (22,427 cases), Kolkata (654 cases), and Chennai (5,973 cases)
A series of events took place on Wednesday as the country celebrated its 73rd Republic Day. The parade at Rajpath was held amid strict Covid-19 protocols in the national capital. You can follow live updates on it here.
Omicron Covid-19 India Latest Update: Students attend a class after schools reopened for students of Classes 1 to 12 from Monday. (Express photo By Ganesh Shirsekar)
With the plateauing of the pandemic curve in the third wave, the test positivity rate (TPR) — the number of positive cases detected when compared to the total tests conducted — in Mumbai dropped to 4.3 per cent on Wednesday. This is a sharp fall from 28.9 per cent TPR reported 19 days back on January 7. On January 7, out of the 72,442 tests conducted, 20,971 samples had returned positive. But after hitting its pandemic peak around January 10, the daily cases gradually started declining. On January 11, out of the 62,097 tests conducted, 11,647 were detected with Covid-19 with a TPR of 18.7 per cent. A week after, on January 18, the daily cases dropped marginally with 6,149 cases from 47,700 tests at a positivity rate of 12.8 per cent. Seven days later, on Wednesday, it plunged to 4.3% with 1,858 positive cases from 42,315 tests conducted in Mumbai. Read More
The Covid-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh rose to 9,24,161 on Wednesday after detection of 9,966 new cases, while death toll increased to 10,591 after eight more patients succumbed to the infection in the state, a health department official said. The positivity rate reduced to 12.3 per cent from 13 per cent on Tuesday, when the state had registered 9,451 cases, he said. The rate indicates the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested.
The recovery count stood at 8,41,346 after 8,604 people were discharged from hospitals during the day, he said. (PTI)
New Covid-19 infections dropped below 30,000 in Tamil Nadu as it added 29,976 cases on Wednesday, pushing the caseload to 32,24,236, the health department said. As many as 47 more people succumbed to the virus in the last 24 hours, mounting the death toll to 37,359 till date, a medical bulletin said. Fresh have been hovering over 30,000 over the last few days and Tamil Nadu has been witnessing a declining trend after reaching a peak of 30,744 cases on January 22.
Seven districts led by Chennai accounted for the majority of new coronavirus infections with the state capital adding 5,973 cases followed by Coimbatore 3,740, Chengalpet 1,883, Tiruppur 1,787, Salem 1,457, Erode 1,302 and Kanyakumari 1,035 with the remaining in other districts. Those who tested positive, included 18 returnees from various states. (PTI)
Mumbai reported 1,858 new coronavirus infections and 13 deaths on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release. The city has been reporting fewer than 2,000 cases for the last three days. The caseload of the financial capital of the country went up to 10,40,363, while death toll rose to 16,569. The new daily cases were hovering over 2,000 since December 29, 2021. With 1,656 patients being discharged from hospitals on Wednesday, the tally of recoveries increased to 9,98,698. (PTI)
Karnataka reported 48,905 new Covid-19 cases along with 39 deaths today. The state also witnessed 41,699 recoveries in the last 24 hours. The test positivity rate dipped to 22.51 per cent from 26.70 per cent on Tuesday. Of the new cases, Bengaluru Urban reported 22,427 infections. Click here to read live updates.
Delhi today recorded 7,498 fresh Covid cases, up from yesterday's count of 6,028 infections. The national capital also saw 29 related deaths. The positivity rate currently stands at 10.59 per cent.
The Omicron variant of coronavirus can remain alive on skin for over 21 hours, and more than eights days on plastic surfaces, which may be contributing to its faster spread compared to other strains, according to a study. The researchers from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan analysed the differences in viral environmental stability between the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and all variants of concern. The yet-to-be peer-reviewed study, posted recently on the preprint repository BioRxiv, found that the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants exhibited more than two-fold longer survival on plastic and skin surfaces, than the Wuhan strain. (PTI)
As the nation grapples with the third wave of Covid-19, the government needs to be extremely vigilant so that mistakes made previously are not repeated, health activists of Jan Arogya Abhiyan said. On the occasion of Republic Day 2022, based on the participation of constituent organisations across the state, Jan Arogya Abhiyan has drawn the attention of the Maharashtra government to several matters like strengthening of public health services and regulation of private hospitals. Read More
An ICMR study has demonstrated that individuals infected with Omicron have significant immune response which could neutralise not only the Omicron, but also other variants of concern, including the most prevalent Delta variant. It suggests that the immune response induced by the Omicron could effectively neutralise the Delta variant, making the re-infection with Delta variant less likely, thereby displacing the Delta as dominant strain, the study said emphasising upon the need for Omicron-specific vaccine strategy. The study was conducted on 39 individuals, of which 25 had taken both the doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, eight people had taken double dose of Pfizer jab, while six were unvaccinated.
Also, 28 of these 39 were mainly foreign returnees from the UAE, South/West/East Africa, Middle East, the US and the UK, and 11 people were their high-risk contacts. All these individuals were infected with Omicron variant. The study assessed the IgG antibody and Neutralizing Antibody (NAb) response in the people with breakthrough and natural Covid-19 infections.
A newly married couple was arrested in Valsad along with their seven family members early Tuesday for allegedly violating night curfew while they were returning after the wedding rituals. Surat Range IG Rajkumar Pandian has ordered an inquiry against the police personnel involved in the incident. Read More
Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the most effective weapon to the world in its war against Covid-19 in the form of a unique gift called “Mangal (well-being) teeka” (vaccine) which continues to protect people from coronavirus. Addressing the Republic Day function at the Lal Parade ground here, the governor said only two per cent of the infected persons required hospitalisation during the third wave of the pandemic while others are recuperating at home thanks to the "PM's extraordinary vision and the rapid free vaccination".
“The severity of the infection has lessened due to the protective cover provided by the vaccine against Covid-19 during the third wave. The Prime Minister has given the most effective weapon to the world in its war against Covid-19 by gifting a unique 'Mangal teeka' which is saving the people even today,” Patel said. (PTI)
With daily Covid cases dipping to around 6,000 and the positivity rate going below 10 per cent, the Delhi government may soon lift curbs like the weekend curfew and odd-even days for markets and malls, said sources Wednesday. Cinema halls and dine-in facilities of restaurants may also be allowed at 50 per cent capacity, the sources added.
“There is a meeting tomorrow. Weekend curfew, odd-even and opening of all shops in the markets and malls are expected to be lifted from this week or next week but the exact dates will be discussed in the meeting by the CM and the L-G. Cinema halls and restaurants may also be allowed to function at 50 per cent capacity,” the source said. Read more here
More than 1,600 parents have signed a petition sent to Delhi authorities on Republic Day requesting the opening of schools and anganwadi centres for physical classes on priority once Delhi begins lifting its current set of Covid-19 restrictions.
The petition states, “On Republic Day, as citizens and voters, we strongly urge you to respect our children’s constitutional rights to education, health, and life. As you lift Omicron-related restrictions, schools and anganwadis must be the first to open (for all classes). Attendance can be subject to parental consent. SOPs must be reviewed and updated in a timely manner based on current science – they must be realistic in order to restore normalcy to our children’s lives and education." Read more here
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has said a surge in cases was seen last week in the state due to people travelling for the Pongal festival. “In view of Pongal festival, people travelled to their villages following which the virus spread (in such areas). Over the next three days, the actual prevalence of the virus in the state will emerge,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.
With high vaccine coverage in the city, Delhi has seen fewer immunisations over the last week. Over 72,800 shots were administered daily on average over the last seven days in comparison to over 132,400 shots in the previous corresponding period.
Delhi has already administered over 16.8 million first doses in adults as against an estimated nearly 15 million eligible people over the age of 18 years, completing 100 per cent coverage. And 12.2 million second doses have also been administered so far, covering 81 per cent of the adult population. The Centre, earlier this week, said that high uptake in vaccination has resulted in a less severe third wave, with fewer hospitalisations and deaths. Read more here
At least 163.58 crore (1,63,58,44,536) vaccine doses have been administered in India since the national vaccination drive began in January 2021. On Tuesday, 59 lakh doses were administered. Further, 94 lakh precaution doses have been administered so far.
West Bengal registered a decline in its Covid-19 tally with 4,494 people tested positive in the state on Tuesday. The virus claimed 36 lives, taking the state toll to 20,411, reported PTI. Meanwhile, state Education Minister Bratya Basu has said the state government is in favour of reopening schools in a phased manner but the final decision will be taken by CM Mamata Banerjee “at the right time”.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the Covid restrictions imposed across the national capital will be eased soon so that people’s livelihood and economic activities can return to normalcy.
“After receiving several requests from the market and traders’ association, we sent a proposal to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) to lift the weekend curfew and ease restrictions. He agreed to some recommendations, but deferred others like the odd-even system and weekend curfew. All these restrictions are imposed for public safety and people need not worry; all these restrictions will be lifted soon,” said Kejriwal.
For the first time in the ongoing third wave in Karnataka, the number of recoveries exceeded the number of new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday. Karnataka reported 41,400 fresh Covid-19 cases, of which 19,105 were detected in Bengaluru alone. The state health department also recorded 53,093 recoveries during the day.
The positivity rate in the state stood at 26.70 per cent, whereas the case fatality rate was 0.12 per cent. The state currently has 3,50,742 active cases. Fifty-two people succumbed to the virus on Tuesday, with 19 dying in Bengaluru.
“Health is one of the strongest pillars of the society and I will continue to work towards making it equitable for all,” Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, chairman and managing director of the Poonawalla Group, said while expressing his gratitude to the Government of India after being bestowed with the Padma Bhushan award.
Dr Poonawalla, who founded the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) in 1966, said, “It is a great privilege for me to be among the prestigious list of illustrious people who have contributed to the growth of the country.” SII is manufacturing the Covishield vaccines in India.
Maharashtra reported 33,914 cases on Tuesday and 86 deaths, the highest single day toll in the state since October 6, 2021. Pune has been the major contributor to the state’s tally. Pune city reported 5,323 cases on Tuesday followed by Nagpur with 3,023 cases. The caseload in Mumbai dropped slightly from 1,857 on Monday to 1,815 on Tuesday. As on Tuesday, Mumbai had 22,185 active Covid-19 cases.
Subscribe here
India reported 2.85 lakh (2,85,914) new Covid-19 cases and 665 deaths on Tuesday. The country has 22.23 lakh active cases, 5.55 per cent of its caseload. The daily positivity rate is 16.16 per cent, while the recovery rate is 93.23 per cent. In the last 24 hours, 17.69 lakh tests were conducted. And, India has administered 163.58 crore vaccine doses so far.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday held a Covid-19 review meeting with officials of nine states and UTs and urged them to focus on teleconsultation and efficient monitoring of patients in home isolation.
“This will prove to be a game-changer and will be of immense value and importance for the hard-to-reach and far-flung areas, and especially in the northern regions in the current winter season… States need to ensure that these (teleconsultation) centres work 24X7 and ensure convenience for both the common public and health experts. To ensure minimum travelling, such expert advice can be provided at the block, secondary or primary health centre levels too,” he said. Read more here
The proportion of students in classes II, III, and VI in Chhattisgarh who are unable to recognise letters have doubled since 2018, coupled with a sharp drop in their basic mathematical skills, according to the latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), which captures Covid-related learning losses in one of the most backward states of the country. According to the ASER survey, which covered 46,021 children aged 3-16 years across 33,432 households in 28 districts of Chhattisgarh in October-November 2021, the current foundational reading level among students in classes I-VII is “lower than at any time in the last decade”. Sourav Roy Barman reports
Good morning, and Happy Republic Day! ?? Strict Covid-19 guidelines as in place Wednesday as India celebrates her 73rd Republic Day. The celebrations this year are special as Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence. A series of events have been scheduled this week, including, of course, the parade at Rajpath today and the Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29. The celebrations commenced on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. They will culminate on January 30, observed as Martyrs’ Day. You can follow the latest news and updates on R-Day here
Even as the industrial city of Pimpri-Chinchwad has over 27,500 Covid-19 patients in home isolation, not a single patient has required any emergency help or hospitalisation so far this month, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has claimed. Besides, no home-isolation death has been reported so far, officials said.
According to PCMC health department, 95 per cent of Covid-19 patients in the area are currently in home isolation. Until Monday, Pimpri-Chinchwad had 28,666 active cases of the infection. Read More
Amid growing demand from private schools and villagers to reopen schools, the Haryana government Tuesday decided to allow physical classes for 10-12 standard in private as well government schools from February 1.
Haryana Education Minister Kanwar Pal Gurjar said: “We have decided to start classes for 10-12 standard while following Covid norms like earlier. The online classes will also be continued but those who want to come to school may attend the classes there too. As many as 75 per cent children in the age group of 15-18 year have already been vaccinated. I feel they are very safe now. Otherwise too, the corona pandemic is under control.” Read More
Maharashtra on Tuesday reported 33,914 new Covid cases along with 30,500 recoveries and 86 deaths. At present the state has 3,02,923 active cases.
? Today’s Covid numbers: Delhi (6,028 cases), Mumbai (1,815 cases), Bengaluru (19,105 cases), Chennai (6,241 cases) and Kolkata (591 cases)
Gujarat on Tuesday reported 16,608 new Covid-19 cases and 28 deaths along with 17,467 recoveries in the last 24 hours. There are 1,34,261 active Covid cases in the state. (ANI)
Mumbai on Tuesday reported 1,815 new Covid cases along with 10 deaths. Active cases in the city stand at 22,185.
Delhi on Tuesday logged 6,028 Covid-19 cases, 9,127 recoveries, and 31 deaths. The active case tally of the national capital went up to 42,010 along with the positivity rate dipping to 10.55 per cent.
Karnataka on Tuesday reported 41,400 new Covid-19 cases along with 52 deaths. The state also recorded 53,093 recoveries in the past 24 hours. State health minister K Sudhakar said that this is the first time since third wave began, recoveries exceeded new infections. The test positivity rate dipped to 26.70% from the 32.95% on Monday. Among the new cases, 19,105 were reported from Bengaluru.
Kerala on Tuesday reported 55,475 new Covid-19 cases with a test positivity rate of 49.9 per cent. This is the first time that the TPR is almost at 50 per cent, meaning one of the two persons tested for Covid in Kerala is diagnosed with the infection. 70 related deaths and 84 deaths that were newly certified as Covid-19 deaths based on the revised rules, were also recorded pushing the death toll to 52,141 in the state. Kerala has been witnessing drastic increase in fresh infections for the past few days. There are 2,85,365 active Covid cases in the state.
Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said on Tuesday they started a clinical trial to test a new version of their vaccine specifically designed to target the Covid-19 Omicron variant, which has eluded some of the protection provided by the original two-dose vaccine regimen.
The companies plan to test the immune response generated by the Omicron-based vaccine both as a three-shot regimen in unvaccinated people and as a booster shot for people who already received two doses of their original vaccine. They are also testing a fourth dose of the current vaccine against a fourth dose of the Omicron-based vaccine in people who received their third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine three to six months earlier.
The companies plan to study the safety and tolerability of the shots in the more than 1,400 people who will be enrolled in the trial. (Reuters)
In view of a substantial number of Covid-19 patients recuperating in home isolation, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday asked states to focus on expanding the reach of teleconsultation services to provide timely healthcare. He interacted with health ministers, senior bureaucrats and administrators of nine states and union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Ladakh and Uttar Pradesh, according to a statement from the health ministry.
Mandaviya urged them to adopt the hub and spoke model and open additional teleconsultation centres. This will enable beneficiaries to access advice from experts stationed at district hubs, it said. He said the government's eSanjeevani telemedicine system has provided services to more than 2.6 crore beneficiaries where people can seek medical advice from the confines of their homes.
Are we really in the pandemic's endgame? Or do we have to learn to live with the virus?
In the third wave of the coronavirus epidemic, India has acknowledged that the disease is now in the community transmission stage. While it is no more than a statement of the obvious, and has little operational implication at this stage of the epidemic, this acknowledgment has attracted attention because this is the first time India has officially done so. What does it really mean? To find out, read the Explained article by Anuradha Mascarenhas and Amitabh Sinha.
Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday asked states/UTs to ramp up testing where it has gone down. In a meeting with the meeting with states/UTs, he also urged them to send Covid testing and vaccination data timely, according to news agency ANI. The health minister also told the states that as a large number of people are opting for home isolation, they should be monitored as per national guidelines.
With INSACOG stating that Omicron is in community transmission and has become dominant in multiple metros, experts have said that focus should be on sequencing clinical samples of those who are severely ill and keep a close watch on clusters.
“We should change the strategy of sample collection for genome sequencing. There is no point in focusing on airports. A close watch should be kept on clinical samples from the ICU or those with serious symptoms to check if there is further mutation of the SARS-CoV2 virus and whether it is changing a bit. There is a need to keep an eye on clusters at localities or parties or any gathering in case there is a sudden eruption of cases and also ensure a randomised sampling in large areas,” Dr Rakesh Mishra, former director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, said. Read More
Belgium's health ministers have approved a recommendation to use a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine to better protect people with a weakened immune system against the virus.
Christie Morreale, the minister for public health in the federal government, said Monday that she and her regional counterparts have greenlighted the proposal made by the country's health council. Morreale did not give a date for the start of the program.
About 77% of Belgium's nearly 11.5 million people are now fully vaccinated, and some 6.3 million Belgians have received a booster dose, according to the latest figures from health authorities. (AP)
Researchers in the US have developed a low-cost smartphone based diagnostic tool for COVID-19 that combines the speed of over-the-counter antigen tests with the accuracy of PCR tests.
While the conventional PCR tests can take several hours, the Harmony kit can provide results in less than 20 minutes for some samples and with similar accuracy.
The test uses a "PCR-like" method to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome in a nasal swab sample with the aid of a small, low-cost detector. A smartphone is used to operate the detector and read the results, the researchers said. The detector can handle up to four samples at a time and would fit into a standard car's glove compartment. (PTI)
The Sikkim Government has made it mandatory for all persons entering the Himalayan state to produce a negative RT-PCR report conducted within 72-hours prior to the date of entry.
A Home department notification issued on Monday said in case a person cannot produce an RT-PCR negative test report he/she has to undergo a rapid antigen test at all entry check posts and Pakyong Airport. (PTI)
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Covid-19 restrictions will be eased as soon as possible as the government does not want the livelihoods of people to be affected.
Kejriwal said that after receiveing several requests from market and traders' association, a proposal was sent to the L-G to lift weekend curfew and ease restrictions. "He agreed to some recommendations, but deferred others like odd-even and weekend curfew. All these restrictions are imposed for the public safety and will be lifted soon," he added.
Lok Sabha member from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir said he has tested positive for Covid-19 and has mild symptoms.
With over 62 lakh Covid-19 doses being administered in the last 24 hours, India's vaccine coverage exceeded 162.92 crore.
Over 88 lakh booster doses have been administered since January 10, when the campaign to give a third vaccine dose to healthcare workers, frontline workers and the elderly began.
Among the age group of 15-18 years, 4.27 crore doses have been administered since January 3.
South Korea recorded more than 8,000 new coronavirus infections for the first time on Tuesday as health authorities reshape the country's pandemic response to address a surge driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.
The 8,571 new cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency followed three straight days exceeding 7,000. With Omicron spreading more than twice as fast as the Delta strain that caused the last surge, experts say new cases may exceed 10,000 this week and possibly 20,000 after the Lunar New Year's holiday break that begins this weekend and continues to next Wednesday. (AP)
Britain announced that it will scrap Covid-19 test requirements for fully vaccinated travellers entering the country from next month.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps made a statement in the House of Commons, confirming that from 4 am on February 11, travellers who have had both doses of a COVID vaccine will no longer be required to take a test within two days of arriving in England.
A cluster of Covid-19 cases in Beijing has prompted authorities to test millions and impose new measures two weeks ahead of the opening of the Winter Olympics, even as the city of Xi'an in north-central China lifted on Monday a monthlong lockdown that had isolated its 13 million residents.
Officials in Beijing said they would conduct a second round of mass testing of the Fengtai district's 2 million residents, where the majority of the capital's 40 coronavirus cases since January 15 have been found. That came a day after authorities announced that anyone who buys or who has bought fever, cough or certain other medicines in the past two weeks would be required to take a Covid-19 test within 72 hours.
The severe measures, despite a relatively low number of cases, illustrate the acute concern of government officials in the run-up to the Olympics, which open in Beijing on February 4. (AP)
The GenePath Dx CoviDelta RT-PCR test, which was developed by GenePath Diagnostics - a Pune and USA based company, has been found to be 100 per cent concordant with whole-genome sequencing in identifying Covid-19 positive samples as belonging to the Delta-lineage or Omicron-lineage - the two most widespread lineages currently in global circulation, a release from the firm said.
According to the release, the test has already been approved by ICMR for SARS-CoV-2 detection and by the CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organization) for manufacturing.
The test, which uses multiple distinct markers across the SARS-CoV-2 genome to increase sensitivity and resilience to emerging mutations in the virus, is capable of detecting all current and previous clinically relevant strains of SARS-CoV-2 with high sensitivity. (PTI)
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold a Covid-19 review meet with the health ministers of nine states and Union Territories on Tuesday at 10.30 am, ANI reported.
The states and UTs include Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Ladakh, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh.
In the third wave of the coronavirus epidemic, India has acknowledged that the disease is now in the community transmission stage. While it is no more than a statement of the obvious, and has little operational implication at this stage of the epidemic, this acknowledgment has attracted attention because this is the first time India has officially done so.
Community transmission is a stage where it becomes difficult to establish the chain of infections, or determine who infected whom. This has implications for deciding containment strategies and response measures to deal with the epidemic.
Read more
India reported 2,55,874 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, as per data updated by the health ministry, taking the country’s active case load to 22,36,842.
With 2,67,753 recoveries in the last 24 hours and a total of 3,70,71,898 recoveries, the recovery rate now stands at 93.15 per cent. While the daily positivity rate stands at 15.52 per cent, the weekly figure is 17.17 per cent. As many as 614 fatalities pushed India’s death toll to 4,90,462.