Omicron variant Updates: Positivity rate in 300 districts over 5%, Omicron not common cold, says Govt

Gujarat on Wednesday saw a huge spike in the Covid cases as the state reported nearly 10,000 cases, 9,941 to be precise, taking the overall caseload to 8,85,718. Ahmedabad once again continued to lead the list with 3,904 cases. It was followed by Surat 2,770, Vadodara 862, Rajkot 375, Gandhinagar 244, Junagadh 50, Valsad 218, Bharuch 217, Bhavnagar 156, among other districts.

Four Covid deaths were reported in the state on Wednesday. While two patients died in Surat, one each in Rajkot and Valsad passed away.

Tamil Nadu reported 17,934 fresh Covid-19 cases and 19 deaths on Wednesday, the state Public Health Department said in a statement.

The active cases in the state stand at 88,959.

As many as 15,617 new Covid cases have been reported on Wednesday in Bengaluru alone taking the tally of active cases to 73,654. The recovered cases stood at 874. The positivity rate in Bengaluru reached 15.96 per cent. At least 433 kids aged between 0-9 years and 1,342 between the age group of 10 to years have turned positive rising concerns in Bengaluru.

Micro containment zones swelled to 479 in the city, Mahadevapura reporting most number of zones (189) and followed by 112 centres in Bommanahalli. The total number of positive cases in the state stood at 21,390. 10 cases of deaths have been reported in the state. The positivity rate for the day stood at 10.96 per cent in the state. After Bengaluru, with 594 cases Tumakuru reported most number of Covid-19 cases. Mysuru (524), Dakshina Kannada (519), Hassan (409), Udupi (361), Mandya (319), Bengaluru Rural (310), Belagavi (269), Dharwad (264) and Ramnagar (135) also recorded high number of cases.

Rajasthan recorded three deaths due to the coronavirus and 9,488 fresh infections on Wednesday, bringing the fatality count to 8,981 and the infection tally to 9,98,126, according to the state Medical and Health Department. As of Wednesday evening, a maximum of 3,659 fresh COVID-19 cases were registered in the state capital Jaipur, 755 in Alwar, 591 in Jodhpur, 495 in Bikaner, 423 in Udaipur, 406 in Kota, 364 in Bharatpur, 319 in Barmer, 287 in Ajmer. Rajasthan has 38,448 active cases of the novel coronavirus at present, official data showed. On Wednesday, 1,634 people recovered from the infection. According to the department, two patients died in Jaipur and one in Sikar due to the infection on Wednesday.

Hiring more staff, expanding capacity and opening walk-in centres are some of the steps laboratories are taking to cope with the twin imperatives of increased tests and timely results as Covid cases spike sharply in the country. As India copes with an Omicron driven explosion in numbers, the spotlight is on laboratories that are pulling out all the stops to ensure they are able to conduct the maximum number of tests, deliver results on time and also keep their own staff safe from the contagion.

The pressure has been building by the day with increasing numbers of people showing Covid symptoms booking tests to rule out or confirm the infection and many others needing a negative test to travel, attend office or enter restricted venues.
There is also the added pressure of those needing non-Covid tests.

Kerala on Wednesday reported 76 fresh Omicron cases taking the total number of people infected with the new variant of COVID-19 to 421, state health minister Veena George said here. An 'Omicron cluster' was formed at a private nursing college in Pathanamthitta where the disease was suspected to have been spread from a student who was in contact with a person arrived from abroad, she said in a statement.

Of the 76 fresh cases reported on Monday, 15 were from Thrissur district, 13 from Pathanamthitta, 8 from Alappuzha, 8 from Kannur, 6 from Thiruvananthapuram, 6 from Kottayam, 6 from Malappuram, 5 from Kollam, 4 each from Kozhikode and Kasaragod and one each in Wayanad and Ernakulam. Besides them, a person who came from Tamil Nadu also reported positive for the COVID-19 variant in the state, it added. Of these, 59 of the Omicron-infected people came from low-risk nations and 7 from high-risk countries, it said adding that as many as 9 people were contracted the disease through contact.

Odisha on Wednesday registered 67 new cases of Omicron, the highest so far, taking the state’s tally in the new variant to 170 , a health department official said. The Institute of Life Science (ILS), Bhubaneswar, informed the state health and family welfare department about detection of the new Omicron cases after genome sequencing of the samples. The ILS is the lone laboratory in the state where genome sequencing facility is available, he said. The preliminary report received from ILS, Bhubaneswar, indicated that most of the new Omicron cases are local contacts with no foreign travel history and that the variant has started spreading in the locality, he said. Director of Public Health Niranjan Mishra said the state has procured specially designed kit for quick Omicron testing as genome sequencing requires more time for detection.

 Bharat Biotech on Wednesday said a study has demonstrated that a booster dose of Covaxin has a neutralising effect on the Omicron and Delta variants of COVID-19. The study conducted at Emory University demonstrated that subjects who received a booster dose of Covaxin (BBV152) six months after getting a primary two-dose series have witnessed neutralising of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta variants, the vaccine major said in a statement. Earlier studies had demonstrated the neutralising potential of Covaxin against other SARS-CoV-2 variants -- Alpha, Beta, Delta, Zeta and Kappa, it added. Citing the study results, Bharat Biotech noted that more than 90 per cent of all individuals boosted with Covaxin showed neutralising antibodies. "As the dominant COVID-19 variant throughout the world, Omicron poses a serious public health concern. Data from this preliminary analysis show individuals receiving a booster dose of Covaxin have a significant immune response to both the Omicron and Delta variants.

As many as 300 districts in India are reporting weekly Covid case positivity of more than 5 per cent, the Union government said on Wednesday as it urged people not to treat infection due to Omicron variant as common cold and get vaccinated. It said Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Gujarat are emerging as states of concern due to the rise in Covid cases there. Addressing a press conference, Joint Secretary in Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections has been noted in India with the case positivity climbing to 11.05 per cent on Wednesday from 1.1 per cent on December 30.

Concurrently, Covid cases have been rising globally with January 10 recording the highest ever single-day rise of 31. 59 lakh cases worldwide, he said. The official said that currently, 300 districts in India are reporting weekly case positivity of more than 5 per cent.

Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19's alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S.,at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically. The reason: The variant has proved so wildly contagious that it may already be running out of people to infect, just a month and a half after it was first detected in South Africa. “It's going to come down as fast as it went up,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

The surge of Covid-19 cases continued as Andhra Pradesh added 3,205 afresh on Wednesday, taking the active caseload up to 10,119. In 24 hours ending 9 am on Wednesday, 281 infected people got cured but no fresh deaths were reported in the state, the latest bulletin said. The gross Covid-19 positives now stood at 20,87,879.

The total recoveries touched 20,63,255 and deaths 14,505, the bulletin said. The number of active cases shot up by 2,924 in 24 hours. Visakhapatnam district registered 695 fresh cases, followed by Chittoor with 607.East Godavari added 274, Srikakulam 268, Guntur 224, Krishna 217, Vizianagaram 212, SPS Nellore 203, Anantapuramu 160 and Kurnool 123 new infections. 

Prakasam and West Godavari districts logged 90 each while Kadapa reported 42 new cases in 24 hours.Chittoor district now topped the state with 2,129 active cases, ahead of Visakhapatnam’s 1,967. Krishna district’s active cases crossed the 1,000 mark while the remaining 10 districts have less than 900 each.

Omicron is not common cold, it's our responsibility to slow it down. Let's #MaskUp and get vaccinated, whoever is due. It's fact they (vaccines) are helpful to an extent. Vaccination critical pillar of our COVID response: Niti Aayog Member (Health) Dr VK Paul

"There should be a rational approach for medicine use. We are concerned about the overuse & misuse of drugs. Don't overuse, it will have aftermath...Have warm water, do gargles in home care", said Dr VK Paul Niti Aayog Member (Health) at a government Covid briefing on Wednesday. 

According to Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry, states like Maharashtra, West Bangal, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Kerela and Gujarat are of concern with a high surge in COVID cases. 

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said the numbers of COVID-19 cases and its fast spreading variant Omircon were slowing coming down in the city, and appealed to citizens to get vaccinated against the viral infection.

Mumbai on Tuesday reported 11,647 new COVID-19 cases, a drop of 2,001 from the previous day and fourth straight day of downward trend, taking the tally to 9,39,867, while two more patients succumbed to the infection.

Like millions of others in the most locked-down place on the planet, Melbourne resident Rav Thomas dutifully spent 262 days confined to his home as the COVID-19 pandemic raged. He got vaccinated. And the single father of two found ways to pay the bills as Melbourne's lockdowns — the longest imposed by any city in the world — battered his entertainment and events company. Then in October, the city's restrictions began to lift, along with Thomas' spirits.
His company once again began booking events as Melbourne's nightclubs and bars reopened.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the "sense of responsibility" of the country's youth and said it manifested in the pace of Covid-19 vaccination in the 15-18 years age group that has covered over two crore children since its rollout this month. Virtually inaugurating the 25th edition of the National Youth Festival here, Modi also said his government's recent decision to increase the legal marriage age of women to 21 years was for the betterment of "our daughters" and ensure that they had a career and also the time. Hailing the pace of vaccination of the 15-18 years age group, he said this showed the "sense of responsibility" of the youngsters, especially witnessed during the pandemic period.

Masks, social distancing, proper hygiene and ventilation can help reduce the transmission of Covid-19 in public places, but even with these measures, scientists have detected airborne SARS-CoV-2 in indoor settings. Now, researchers from Yale University have developed a passive air sampler clip that can help assess personal exposure to SARS-CoV-2, which could be especially helpful for workers in high-risk settings, such as restaurants or health care facilities. The researchers developed a wearable passive air sampler, known as the Fresh Air Clip, that continually adsorbs virus-laden aerosols on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface. Described in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology Letters, the clip is a small, lightweight, inexpensive and wearable device that doesn't require a power source. Covid-19 is primarily transmitted through the inhalation of virus-laden aerosols and respiratory droplets that infected individuals expel by coughing, sneezing, speaking or breathing. Previously active air sampling devices helped detect airborne SARS-CoV-2 in indoor settings; however, these monitors are typically large, expensive, non-portable and require electricity.

The Covid-19 situation in Karachi is spinning out of control amid the fifth wave of the pandemic as the positivity rate in Pakistan's financial hub reached 20.22 per cent Wednesday morning, The News reported. As per the latest statistics, 6,048 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours in the city and out of which 1,223 returned positive. In 95 per cent of the positive cases, Omicron is being confirmed, said the report. Meanwhile, Lahore's Covid-19 positivity rate has surged to 7 per cent, Islamabad's 4.5 per cent and Rawalpindi's 4 per cent. According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), Pakistan has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections -- 2,074 -- in the last 24 hours since September 24, 2021, more than three months ago.

About 50 per cent of the European population will contract the Omicron variant of Covid within the next six to eight weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. According to Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Europe director, a "west-to-east tidal wave" of Omicron was sweeping across the region, on top of a surge in the Delta variant, BBC reported. The projection was based on the seven million new cases reported across Europe in the first week of 2022. The number of infections has more than doubled in a two-week period. "Today, the Omicron variant represents a new west-to-east tidal wave, sweeping across the region on top of the Delta surge that all countries were managing until late 2021," Dr Kluge told a news conference.

Covid cases in Delhi continues to be above 20,000 but the positivity rate is stagnant at around 25% which is a good sign. Hospital admission rate has not risen in the past 4-5 days, if it continues, there will be some relief in restrictions: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain. 

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Wednesday said coronavirus cases have stabilised in the national capital and there is a possibility of the infections declining soon. While sharing that the city is likely to see around 25,000 cases on Wednesday, he underlined that the positivity rate cannot determine whether the cases have peaked or not. "Hospitalisation rate has stabilised and cases have plateaued. There are still several beds vacant," he said. Comparing the scenario with Mumbai, the minister said the cases have started declining there and the same situation is likely to happen in the national capital. He also assured that if cases come down in the next two-three days, restrictions will be lifted.

Captain Amarinder Singh tests positive for Covid-19. 

76 fresh cases of Omicron has been confirmed in Kerala, taking total number of the variant cases detected in the state to 421. 

Delhi Police says 1700 of its personnel tested positive for COVID-19 between January 1 and January 12. 

Madhya Pradesh reported 3,639 positive cases in last 24 hours, total active cases stands at 14,413. The majority of patients are asymptomatic and only 1% need oxygen and ICU support. Doctors communicate twice with patients in home isolation: State Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang.

Karnataka: Another case registered against State Congress president DK Shivakumar and 63 others in Ramanagara for violating COVID norms during the party's Mekedatu padayatra. This is the third FIR against the Congress leader in this matter. 

Around 50 staff members tested positive for COVID-19 at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in the national capital, sources said on Wednesday."Around 50 people have been found positive for COVID-19 at the BJP headquarters including staff, BVG staff (engaged in cleaning and serving), security staff and media co-head in-charge Sanjay Mayukh as per the testing done on Tuesday. All are in isolation and are adhering to COVID-19 protocols," sources told ANI."Sanitization has been carried out at the office. Moreover, COVID-19 tests are being conducted on a regular basis," sources said."Only people engaged in important activities related to the office are coming to the headquarters," the sources added.

COVID-19: Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan writes to chief secretaries of all States/UTs for taking immediate measures to ensure optimal availability of medical oxygen at health facilities. In his letter, Union health secretary says that States/UTs should have a buffer stock of medical oxygen sufficient for at least 48 hours at health facilities providing in-patient care; asks to ensure the proper functioning of PSA plants & availability of sufficient oxygen concentrators. 

India added 1,94,720 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,60,70,510 which includes 4,868 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The active cases have increased to 9,55,319, the highest in 211 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,84,655 with 442 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated. Of the total 4,868 cases of the Omicron variant, 1,805 people have recovered or migrated so far. The active cases comprise 2.65 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate decreased to 96.01 per cent, the ministry said. A total 2,11,298 coronavirus infections were reported in a single day on May 26.  An increase of 1,33,873 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 11.05 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 9.82 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,46,30,536, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.34 per cent.
 

Total tally of Omicron cases: Of the fresh infections logged in today in the country, 4,868 infections are of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Maharashtra reported 1,281 cases, Rajasthan reported 645 cases, Delhi reported 546 cases, Karnataka reported 479 cases and Kerala reported 350 cases of the Omicron variant.

The Union Government on Wednesday said that over 16.50 Crore (16,50,88,086) balance and unutilised COVID-19 vaccines are still available with the states and Union Territories (UTs).The Union Health Ministry, in a press release, said, "more than 16.50 Crore (16,50,88,086) balance and unutilized COVID-19 Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered".Further, the ministry said over 157.13 crore (1,57,13,43,575) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through the direct state procurement category.Earlier on Tuesday, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed 153.70 crores, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With just a day left for the Magh Mela to begin on 'Makar Sankranti', seven policemen on Mela duty have tested positive for Covid. They had arrived on the Mela campus from different parts of the state on duty. Health officials are now trying to trace and test the contacts of these policemen. The Mela police has tested around 2,000 policemen from January 1 to 10 and seven of them came out positive. They have been kept in isolation camps till recovery. Further, testing of employees, officials of various government departments and members of different organisations who have arrived for Magh Mela duty or are setting up camps on Mela campus has been intensified. Superintendent of Police (SP) (Magh Mela) Rajiv Narayan Mishra said, "All seven policemen had complained about mild symptoms. Around 5,000 policemen, ranging from constables to additional SP, on Mela duty, would now be tested." He claimed that all preventive measures have been initiated and wearing of masks made mandatory.

Coronavirus pandemic LIVE Updates: India logs over 1.94 lakh new cases, 442 deaths in last 24 hours

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India logs 1,94,720 COVID cases, over 60,000 recoveries in 24 hours; active cases rise to 9,55,319
 

Considering rising number of COVID-19 infections in the city, Kanpur district administration on Tuesday imposed fresh curbs thereby ordering gyms and swimming pools to shut down till further orders. Restaurants and eating joints will also be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity. Speaking to news agency ANI, Kanpur District Magistrate Vishak G Iyer said, "With the number of active COVID-19 cases crossing 1000 mark in Kanpur on Tuesday, the district administration has imposed fresh restrictions." "Gyms and swimming pools have been closed down with immediate effect. Restaurants and eating joints will be allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity," Iyer said.Uttar Pradesh reported 11,089 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the tally of active cases in the state to 44,466.Further, as many as five more deaths were logged in thereby increasing the overall death toll to 22,937, the state health bulletin said. One death each was reported from Meerut, Moradabad, Kanpur, Gonda and Azamgarh, it said.

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, made the reporting of rapid antigen test results mandatory Wednesday as it experienced its deadliest day of the pandemic with 21 deaths. State Premier Dominic Perrottet said residents who failed to register a positive rapid antigen test would face a fine of up to 1,000 Australian dollars (USD721) starting next week. Perrottet said the registration process was simple and would help health officials provide more support to people with underlying health conditions. The 21 deaths reported in New South Wales on Wednesday topped the previous record of 18 set on Monday. The state saw 34,759 new COVID-19 cases and 2,242 hospitalizations, including 175 patients in intensive care.

At least 481 resident doctors have tested COVID positive in Maharashtra so far: Dr Avinash Dahiphale, president, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors. 

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday tried to calm Israelis anxious about the rapid spread of the omicron variant, insisting the government is managing the crisis better than most and ruling out a national shutdown. Bennett said during an evening press conference that Israel was weathering an “unstoppable storm” of infection by protecting the most vulnerable people and keeping the economy open. He also called on people to take personal responsibility for protecting themselves, their children and older relatives. More than 400,000 vulnerable Israelis- mostly people over 60-have gotten a fourth coronavirus vaccination and hospitals are prepared for an influx of severe illness. Bennett argued that these steps are evidence the situation is under control. “There's no place for panic. There's no place for hysteria. We will get through this together,” Bennett said, adding that the government is handling a once-in-a-lifetime crisis "in the right and responsible way." He spoke after a poll for Israel's Channel 12 showed nearly two-thirds of Israelis viewed the government's handling of the crisis poorly. Bennett has warned that between 2 million and 4 million people among Israel's population of 9.4 million people are expected to be infected by the variant. On Tuesday, he said the government's focus is on keeping seniors safe through vaccines and reserving newly developed drugs for them.

Bhubaneswar: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday directed authorities to remain fully prepared and equipped to cope with the situation in wake of a surge in COVID-19 cases. He reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the state, with senior govt officials and DCs. 

Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital of Delhi conducted a study on the Omicron variant which shows that the virus is mutating but the disease severity is mild. In the research, it was discovered that 35 mutations included 3 non-significant mutations in the spike protein."This is one of the best research in Omicron done by gene sequencing lab. LNJP has done a study on Omicron and submitted data of 13 patients. We have compared the original virus from Wuhan, China. In the study, we found 35 mutations which include 3 non-significant mutations in the spike protein in this variant, as compared to 31-32 mutations in the South African variant. We did gene sequencing and correlated with clinical findings and we found that these patients were either asymptomatic or mild in nature," said Dr Suresh Kumar, Medical Director, LNJP. Dr Kumar said the study shows that the virus is mutating and the disease severity is mild. Speaking on the rise in COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the LNJP MD said that when positivity is more than 20 per cent then it is an alarming situation and it means that people might require beds and ICU for high-risk patients.

Hungary's cumulative Covid-19 death toll has exceeded 40,000, while the number of severe cases requiring hospitalisation or mechanical ventilation was slightly down, the government's coronavirus information website has reported. On Tuesday alone, the country reported 3,382 new daily Covid-19 cases, raising the national total to 1,300,994. Over the past 24 hours, 69 people have died from the disease, taking the cumulative death toll to 40,016 in the country, while 1,147,818 people have recovered. At present, 2,932 patients are being treated in hospitals, including 274 on ventilators, the government's website said on Tuesday. Hungary's Covid-19 death toll stood at 30,000 at the beginning of July 2021, Xinhua news agency reported. Miklos Kasler, Minister of Human Resources responsible for healthcare, said that during the ongoing fifth wave of the pandemic the number of daily infections could reach 13,000, the number of hospitalisations could be between 8,000 and 9,000, and around 200 people could die per day. Kasler told Info radio that he was "absolutely certain" of the need for a fourth vaccine dose and that the government was ready for that eventuality. The recommended wait between the third and the fourth vaccine doses may be longer, but more tests are needed to determine when a fourth vaccine dose could be administered, the Minister added. As of Tuesday, 6,294,707 people have received at least the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, 6,033,675 people had both jabs and 3,292,175 people also had their booster shot, the government's website said. Hungary has also started the vaccination of children aged between five and 11 years.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that current Covid-19 vaccines may need to be updated if they are to provide continued protection against emerging variants, including Omicron. WHO's Technical Advisory Group on Covid-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC), a group of 18 experts, on Tuesday said that although current vaccines provide a high level of protection against severe disease and death caused by Variants Of Concern (VOC), future vaccines that can prevent infection and transmission need to be developed. In the meantime, the composition of current Covid-19 vaccines may need to be updated in order to protect against the evolution of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported. Such updates need to be based on strains that are genetically and antigenically close to the circulating variants. They should also elicit "broad, strong, and long-lasting" responses in order to "reduce the need for successive booster doses," WHO added. The experts have encouraged Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to provide data on the performance of current and Omicron-specific vaccines, to help decide when changes to vaccine composition may be required.