Omicron Coronavirus Live Updates: Sikkim, Mumbai Issue Fresh Restrictions; Health Ministry Writes To States

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and ICMR DG Dr. Balram Bhargava have written to chief secretaries of all states and union territories with guidelines to further combat the spread of the coronavirus and its variants.

The details of the measures:

• Set up 24x7 Rapid Antigen Testing booths to expedite and increase Covid-19 testing.

• States are urged to engage medical and paramedical staff at the RAT booths and encourage the use of home test kits for citizens.

• The RAT tests' algorithm must be defined by ICMR, Covid-19 protocols must be followed at testing centres to eliminate transmission.

• Testing-kits and products can be easily procured at Government-e-marketplace portal.

• States must institute emergency procurement procedures to facilitate supply of diagnostic commodities for the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Any individual presenting with fever with or without cough, headache, sore throat, breathlessness, body ache, the recent loss of taste or smell, fatigue, and diarrhea should be considered as a suspect case of Covid-19 unless proven otherwise.

Uttarakhand has reported 88 fresh Covid-19 cases in the state with one fatality in the last 24 hours.

The active cases in the state now stand at 302.

Sikkim has introduced restrictions in the state to combat the spread of the Omicron variant in the region.

Pubs, discos, cinema halls, restaurants, fast food centres, bakeries, gymnasiums, barber-shops, spas and salons are permitted to operate at 50% capacity.

Hotels, homestays and guest houses are required to operate at 50% capacity too.

While social and political gatherings can be organised with prior permission from the deputy commissioner, people attending must occupy no more than 50% of the space.

44 new Omicron cases were reported in Kerala today, taking the tally of the new variant to 107 in the state, Kerala Health Minister Veena George told ANI.

98% eligible population has been inoculated with 1st dose, 79% with the 2nd dose, she also said.

Mumbai Police has prohibited citizens from visiting beaches, open grounds, sea faces, promenades, gardens, parks and other such public places from 5 p.m. today to 5 a.m. on Jan. 1 in view of rising Covid

India’s Omicron tally stands at 1,270, including 374 recoveries. The nation has added 309 fresh cases of the new Covid-19 variant in the last 24 hours—the biggest one-day jump.

Maharashtra now leads the Omicron tally in India. The western state added 198 cases of the new Covid-19 variant in the last 24 hours. Delhi added 57 new Omicron cases.

India added the most Covid-19 cases in more than two months at a time the Omicron variant spreads aggressively.

The nation reported as many as 16,764 fresh coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, the highest since Oct. 21, according to the Health Ministry’s update at 8 a.m. on Dec. 31. That compares with nearly 7,585 recoveries during the period.

Key Figures:

• Total confirmed cases: 3,48,38,804

• Total number of active cases: 91,361

• Total patients cured/discharged/migrated: 3,42,66,363

• Total deaths: 4,81,080

• Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 16,764

• One-day recoveries: 7,585

• One-day deaths: 220

• Total vaccines administered: 1,44,54,16,714

• Vaccines administered in the last 24 hours: 66,65,290

Active cases rose for the third straight day as fresh infections exceeded daily recoveries. Active infections account for 0.26% of India’s total tally, while recoveries form 98.36%.