Omicron Coronavirus Live Updates: Mumbai, Delhi Report Upsurge; Bengaluru Imposes Fresh Curbs
Follow the latest updates on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccination numbers in India here.
Gathering Of 5 Or More People Prohibited In Bengaluru On New Year's Eve
Bengaluru City Police has prohibited the gathering of more than five persons in open areas or main roads for the purpose of New Year celebrations between 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 5 a.m. on Jan. 1.
In the order, the police said that people can, however, celebrate privately within their houses or residential complexes.
Hotels, malls and restaurants will also not be allowed to organise any special events or music shows within that timeframe although usual business activity, including playing of music within permissible decibels is allowed.
Bihar Detects Its First Omicron Case
Bihar has reported the first case of a Covid-19 patient infected with the Omicron variant, according to the state health department.
A 26-year-old man in Patna's Kidwaipuri district was reported to be infected with the new variant.
Delhi Reports 1,300 Covid-19 Cases, Positivity Rate At 1.89%
Cases in the national capital continued to see a spike, with as many as 1,313 fresh cases being reported. This takes the positivity rate to 1.73%.
The state recorded 923 infections yesterday. Single-day cases have surpassed the 1,000-mark for the first time in seven months.
Maharashtra Adds Nearly 200 Omicron Cases In A Day
Maharashtra's total Omicron tally went up to 450, with the state recording 198 cases of the variant today. Of the 450, 327 cases have been detected in Mumbai alone.
The state also added 5,368 fresh Covid-19 cases, a jump of 1,468 over yesterday's numbers.
Mumbai Reports 46% Spike In Covid-19 Cases, Positivity Rate At 8.5%
Mumbai has reported 3,671 positive cases of the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, marking a spike of 46% in cases over yesterday.
While the city recorded no deaths during the same period, the active Covid-19 case tally stands at 11,360.
Kerala Reports Nearly 2,500 Fresh Covid-19 Cases
Kerala has reported 2,423 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 15 deaths. The active Covid-19 case tally in Kerala now stands at 19,835.
Andhra Pradesh has reported 130 new Covid-19 cases, with one person succumbing to the virus in the previous day period. The state now has 1,081 active Covid-19 cases.
West Bengal Suspends Flights From U.K. To Kolkata
The government of West Bengal has suspended all flights coming from the U.K. to Kolkata airport starting Jan. 3, 2022, the government said in a statement.
All other passengers will have to mandatorily undergo a test at their own cost, the statement also said.
Surge In Cases Could Be Related To Omicron, Says NITI Aayog Member
The sudden rise in cases could be related to the omicron variant, Dr. VK Paul, NITI Aayog Member (Health) said in a Health Ministry press briefing.
Key highlights from the briefing:
Omicron is highly transmissible and severity issues related to omicron are still unsettled.
Omicron is likely to be mild but the data is still being examined.
Durability of immunity post-infection lasts for around nine months.
Covid-19 vaccines are primarily disease modifying and to decrease hospitalisations, severity of infection.
Treatment of different Covid-19 strains remain same
While usage of masks before and after vaccination is a must, mass gatherings should be avoided too. Home isolation remains an important pillar.
Delta variant continues to be the dominant variant in India but Omicron is spreading fast.
Taking a cautious approach with regards to management of omicron cases.
People With No Travel History Found Infected With Omicron: Delhi Health Minister
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that people with no travel history were found infected with the Omicron variant of Covid-19. This means "it's gradually spreading in community," PTI reported citing Jain.
The new variant of the virus was found in 46% of 115 samples sequenced so far in Delhi, Jain said.
Mumbai Police Bars New Year Parties In Closed Or Open Spaces
In the wake of emergence of 'Omicron' variant of coronavirus, Mumbai Police has prohibited New Year celebrations and gatherings in any closed or open space, including hotels and restaurants, PTI reported.
Omicron Updates
India’s Omicron tally stands at 961, including 320 recoveries. The nation has added 308 fresh cases of the new Covid-19 variant in the last 24 hours—the biggest one-day jump.
Delhi has the highest number of Omicron cases but the capital didn’t add any new such case in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra, with the second-highest number of Omicron cases, added 85 new cases in a day.
Daily Covid Updates
India added the most Covid-19 cases in two months at a time the Omicron variant spreads aggressively.
The nation reported as many as 13,154 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the highest since Oct. 30, according to the Health Ministry’s update at 8 a.m. on Dec. 30. That compares with nearly 7,486 recoveries during the period.
Key Figures:
Total confirmed cases: 3,48,22,040
Total number of active cases: 82,402
Total patients cured/discharged/migrated: 3,42,58,778
Total deaths: 4,80,860
Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 13,154
One-day recoveries: 7,486
One-day deaths: 268
Total vaccines administered: 1,43,83,22,742
Vaccines administered in the last 24 hours: 63,91,282
Active cases rose for the second straight day as fresh infections exceeded daily recoveries. Still, active cases account for 0.24% of India’s total tally, while recoveries form 98.38%.