The Indian SARS-COV-2 Genome Consortium (INSACOG), which confirmed the presence of the omicron variant in an advisory made public on Thursday, has recommended booster (or third dose) “to be considered” in people above 40.
India has confirmed two cases NS omicron version One is a 66-year-old South African national of coronavirus in Karnataka and the other is a 46-year-old Indian doctor from Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai on Thursday said he will discuss the matter and take further action at a high-level meeting in Bengaluru on Friday.
editorial | Limited Benefit: At Omicron Risk
Zydus Cadila’s COVID-19 Vaccine ZyCoV-D Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Thursday that initially it will be introduced in seven states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. These states have been asked to identify the districts where the first dose has been missed.
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Here are the latest developments,
National
Active COVID-19 cases rise to 99,976 in the country
With 9,216 coronavirus infections in a day, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country rose to 3,46,15,757, while the active cases rose to 99,976, according to data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Friday.
As per the data updated at 8 am, the death toll rose to 4,70,115 with 391 fresh deaths.
The daily increase in new coronavirus infections has been less than 50,000 for 159 consecutive days.
The ministry said that active cases comprise 0.29% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.35%. -PTI
Nepal
Nepal will ban arrivals from 8 African countries, Hong Kong fears Omicron
A government spokesman said on Friday that Nepal would ban the entry of travelers living in eight African countries or Hong Kong, to prevent the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.
The ban, which comes into effect from midnight on Friday, covers people who have traveled through or transited through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi and Hong Kong. -Reuters
Tamil Nadu
Man who took off from Singapore tests positive, isolated in Tiruchi
A 56-year-old man, who landed at Tiruchi International Airport on Friday morning, tested COVID-19 positive and has been isolated. Their test samples will be sent for genome sequencing to identify the type of virus.
The patient samples will be sent to Chennai where genome sequencing will be done to determine the variants. -TN Bureau
Karnataka
South African man leaves hotel for Dubai before genome sequencing results
The health machinery of the city and the state is on high alert after two persons tested positive for the Omicron version of the coronavirus in Bengaluru. Authorities have no clear answer about how one patient, a 66-year-old African national who was isolated in a hotel on November 20, was allowed to travel to Dubai on November 27.
Karnataka
school to work as usual
Amid fears that the Omicron strain of coronavirus may have spread after two cases were reported in Bengaluru, the Department of Public Instruction on Thursday said that schools will continue as usual.
Public Instruction Commissioner R. Vishal said that whatever advice the technical advisory committee gives, he will follow it. “We are keeping a close watch on the schools and taking all precautionary measures. We believe that conducting offline classes for the students has brought great benefits.”
America
New US COVID-19 international travel testing rules take effect Monday
New rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel will take effect Monday at 12:01 p.m. ET (0501 GMT), US officials said on Thursday. to be confirmed.
Under current rules, vaccinated international air travelers can receive a negative test result within three days from the day of their departure. Unvaccinated passengers must currently obtain a negative COVID-19 test within a day of departure. -Reuters
International
WHO deploys team to tackle Omicron variant in South Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed a team of officials to South Africa’s Gauteng province, the epicenter of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, to step up surveillance measures and contact tracing efforts in the country, an official said on Thursday. are battling a growing infection. ,
The latest daily figures recorded some 11,500 new infections, a sharp increase from the 8,500 cases confirmed the previous day. -PTI
Singapore
Singapore says 2 passengers from South Africa tested “preliminarily positive” for Omicron
The health ministry has said two passengers from South Africa have tested “preliminarily positive” for the Omicron version of COVID-19 after landing in Singapore.
Two passengers who arrived in Singapore from South Africa on Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ479 have tested “preliminarily positive” for the Omicron variant on Wednesday, the MOH said here on Thursday. -PTI
Germany
Germany locks out vaccinations from public life
Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Thursday that unvaccinated people across Germany would soon be excluded from non-essential shops, restaurants and sporting and cultural venues, and parliament on a general vaccine mandate as part of efforts to prevent coronavirus infections. Will consider
Ms Merkel announced the measures after a meeting with federal and state leaders, as the nation again tops 70,000 new confirmed cases in a 24-hour period. He said the steps were necessary to address concerns that hospitals may be overloaded with patients suffering from COVID-19 infections, which are more likely to be severe in those who have not been vaccinated.
National
Vigilance against omicrons, genome sequencing, border surveillance and vaccination key things: Experts
A member of the Maharashtra government’s COVID-19 task force said on Thursday that improving vigilance, genome sequencing, border surveillance and vaccination are some of the things that are needed to tackle the new omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Task force member, Dr Vasant Nagvekar, who is a consultant on infectious diseases at a city hospital, said in a statement that although there is no need to panic, the Omicron variant is certainly a cause for concern. -PTI
Spain | Zimbabwe
Spain and Zimbabwe detect first domestic cases of COVID-19 Omicron type
Regional authorities in Madrid said on Thursday they had detected Spain’s first domestic case of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 in a vaccinated person without links to countries at risk, and were investigating two other similar suspected cases. Were were It was the fourth confirmed case of the variant in Spain, but the first to prove Omicron was already circulating in the country.
Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Minister of Health, says that the southern African country has recorded the Omicron variant, making it the fifth African country to report its presence after Botswana, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria Is. -Reuters, AP
Maharashtra
Five more travelers from ‘at risk’ countries test COVID-19 positive in Mumbai; nine so far
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said five more persons, who arrived in Mumbai from ‘at-risk countries’, tested positive for the COVID-19 infection on Thursday.
The civic body’s additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said the number of passengers who have tested positive on arrival in the city and who are suspected to be infected with the Omicron variant, rose to nine. -PTI
Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Daman and Diu
Night curfew in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu till December 31
A night curfew has been imposed in the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus in view of concerns over the new Omicron variant of the virus, an official said on Thursday.
In the order issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare of the Union Territory Administration, it has been said that from Thursday from 11 pm to 6 am, there will be a curfew till December 31. -PTI
Canada
Canada confirms first COVID cases in wildlife
Canada has confirmed its first cases of coronavirus in wildlife – three in white-tailed deer.
The National Center for Foreign Animal Disease said the samples were collected in early November from free-ranging animals in the Estri region of Quebec, along the United States border.
“Similar to findings in the United States, the deer showed no evidence of clinical signs of disease, and all were apparently healthy,” the agency said in a statement late Wednesday. -afp
Andra Pradesh
Homeo medicine will be given to school children in AP under ‘Project Amrit’
The preventive homeo medicine, ‘Arsenicum Album 30C’, prescribed by the Ministry of AYUSH, has been effective in tackling the COVID-19 infection, according to V. Ramulu, Commissioner, State AYUSH Department.
Mr Ramulu was speaking after inaugurating ‘Project Amrit’ at KSR Zilla Parishad Girls High School here.
Medicines will be distributed to students and teachers in government educational institutions in the state under a program supported by Vidhu Foundation, an NGO.
Play
Cricket South Africa postpones home matches due to COVID-19, adds to uncertainty around India series
Cricket South Africa has postponed a round of home games after some of the team members tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival, testing afresh India tour worries later this month.
The BCCI will soon decide on the tour, which is scheduled to begin with the first Test in Johannesburg from December 17.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra issues guidelines for air travelers
In the wake of confusion over various sets of guidelines for air travelers coming into Maharashtra by the state government and the Center, the former on Thursday issued a set of guidelines clarifying that all domestic passengers arriving in the state will either be fully Will have to get vaccinated. OR must carry RTPCR test certificate showing negative result within 72 hours before boarding.
The state government classified South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe as “high-risk countries” and said it was a dynamic exercise based on the evolving status of the Omicron variant and would therefore be updated as needed by the state government. The state has directed the officials to follow the guidelines for other countries specified by the Centre.
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