COVID-19 India Highlights: India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 3,46,90,510. (File)
With 7,774 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 3,46,90,510, while the number of active cases declined to 92,281, lowest in 560 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death count mounted to 4,75,434 with the addition of 306 new fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 45 days now.
The number of active cases has decreased to 92,281, comprising 0.27 per cent of the total infections, the lowest in 560 days, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.36 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the Health Ministry said.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.65 per cent. It has been less than two per cent for the last 69 days. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.70 per cent. It has been below one per cent for the last 28 days, according to the Health Ministry.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus cases in India:
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Tests Positive For COVID-19South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday and is receiving treatment for mild symptoms, the presidency said in a statement.
Ramaphosa, who is fully vaccinated, began feeling unwell after leaving a state memorial service for former deputy president F W de Klerk in Cape Town earlier in the day but was in good spirits and being monitored by doctors, it said.
Omicron Reduces Vaccine Efficacy, Spreads Faster, Says WHOThe Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible than the Delta strain and reduces vaccine efficacy but causes less severe symptoms according to early data, the World Health Organization said Sunday.
The Delta variant, first identified in India earlier this year, is responsible for most of the world's coronavirus infections.
But South Africa's discovery of Omicron -- which has a large number of mutations -- last month prompted countries around the world to impose travel bans on southern African countries and reintroduce domestic restrictions to slow its spread.
The WHO said Omicron had spread to 63 countries as of December 9. Faster transmission was noted in South Africa, where Delta is less prevalent, and in Britain, where Delta is the dominant strain.
Maharashtra Covid Caseload Rises By 704
Maharashtra reported 704 new coronavirus positive cases on Sunday, taking its infection tally to 66,43,883, while the death of 16 patients pushed the toll to 1,41,259, the state health department said.
A total of 669 patients were discharged during the day, which raised the state's overall recovery count to 64,92,504. There are 6,441 active cases in the state at present.
Fresh Omicron Case In Kerala; Patient returned from UK
The patient in Kerala's Ernakulam returned from UK via Abu Dhabi and tested positive on December 8. His wife and mother have also tested positive and all three have been isolated. All 149 passengers in the flight have been identified and informed, the authorities in Kerala have said.
Omicron Test Kit Developed In Assam Gives Results In 2 Hours
At a time when fresh details and concerns are emerging every day about Omicron, the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) at Assam's Dibrugarh has come up with a testing kit that can detect the new Covid variant in just two hours.
This may be a big relief for the travellers who have been struggling due to the increased wait time for test reports at the airports after fresh restrictions were brought in place to check the spread of the new variant.
The ICMR Dibrugarh team was working on this kit since November 24.
Odisha reports 160 new COVID-19 casesOdisha's COVID-19 caseload rose to 10,51,574 after 160 more people including 20 children, tested positive for the infection while one fresh fatality pushed the death count to 8,434, a health department official said.
There has been a drop in the number of new infections as the state logged 173 cases on Saturday, 286 cases on Friday, 195 on Thursday, and 255 on Wednesday.
Of the new infections, Khurda district of which Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the highest of 86 cases followed by 10 in Sundergarh. Ten districts did not report any new cases in the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus Live Updates: Arunachal Pradesh records one new Covid case, tally at 55,305Arunachal Pradesh registered one new COVID-19 case, four less than the previous day, with the tally rising to 55,305, a health department official said. The death count remained at 280 as no fresh fatality due to the infection was reported in the past 24 hours, State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa said.
At least 54,997 people, including five since Saturday, have recovered from the disease, he said.
New Omicron Cases From Andhra, Chandigarh
The number of Omicron patients in India ticked up to 35 as two more cases were detected -- one in Chandigarh and another in Andhra Pradesh. For both states, these were the first cases
India's active Covid cases decline to 93,277, lowest in 560 daysWith 7,774 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India's COVID-19 tally climbed to 3,46,90,510, while the number of active cases declined to 92,281, lowest in 560 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The number of active cases has decreased to 92,281, comprising 0.27 per cent of the total infections, the lowest in 560 days, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.36 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the Health Ministry said.
Mass protest in Vienna against Austria's controversial Covid restrictions Tens of thousands of people rallied in Vienna on Saturday in protest against restrictions introduced to halt the spread of coronavirus in Austria, including mandatory COVID-19 vaccines and home confinement orders for the unvaccinated.
Around 1,400 police officers were on duty to oversee the protest, which attracted an estimated 44,000 people, and followed a similar demonstration in the Austrian capital last week.
Police said three people were arrested for offences including the use of fireworks and disregarding the requirement to wear masks.
Journalists covering the event, which began in Heldenplatz square, were attacked with snow balls and ice, and one reporter was the victim of an attempted assault, police said. The crowd was addressed by Herbert Kickl, leader of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party, who attacked the government's response to the pandemic.
Brazilian Supreme Court Mandates Proof Of Vaccination To Enter CountryBrazil's Supreme Court Justice Luis Roberto Barroso ruled on Saturday that the country must demand proof of vaccination for visitors seeking to enter the country.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied requests of state health regulator Anvisa to demand vaccination proof from visitors.
But Barroso said in his decision that Brazil needs to avoid supporting what he called "antivaccine tourism."
Australia Shortens Wait Time For Covid Booster Shots Amid Omicron ScareAustralia said on Sunday it will shorten the wait time for people to receive COVID-19 booster vaccines following a rise in cases of the Omicron variant.
Australia had previously said it would offer a COVID-19 booster to everyone over 18 and who had their second dose of the vaccine six months prior.
But with rising cases of the Omicron variant, Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt said the time interval will be shortened to five months after the second dose.
"A booster dose, five or more months after the second dose, will make sure that the protection from the primary course is even stronger and longer lasting and should help prevent spread of the virus," Hunt said in an emailed statement.