Covid Cases in India: The active cases comprise 3.08 per cent of the total infections. (File)
India added 2,47,417 new coronavirus infections, the highest single-day rise in the ongoing wave, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,63,17,927, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated today.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 13.11 per cent -- up from 11.5% yesterday -- while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 10.80 per cent.
The country also reported 380 new deaths, taking the total fatalities in India to 485,035, while active cases rose to 11,17,531.
The active cases comprise 3.08 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate decreased to 95.59 per cent, the ministry said.
Here are the highlights on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
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14,765 new COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths in UP
Uttar Pradesh reported 14,765 fresh COVID-19 cases on Thursday, raising the tally of active cases in the state to 71,022 while six more fatalities pushed the deaths to 22,946, an official statement said.
While two deaths were reported from Hardoi, one death each was reported from Jaunpur, Kanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Pilibhit, it said.
In the past 24 hours, a maximum of 2,213 cases were reported from Lucknow, 1,678 from Ghaziabad, 1,626 cases from Gautam Buddh Nagar and 390 from Mathura, it added In the past 24 hours, 1,062 COVID-19 patients recovered from the infection, taking the number of recoveries to 16,91,288, the statement said.
A total of 2.55 lakh samples were tested for detection of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and the number of cases in the state recorded till date is 17,85,256.
In-charge of the anti-Covid rapid Reaction Team in Mathura, Dr Bhudeo Singh said the total figure of coronavirus cases since December 1 has gone up to 1,975 in the holy town.
Containment zones in Delhi go up from less than 1,000 to nearly 24,000 in past fortnight
Amid the soaring COVID-19 cases in Delhi, the number of containment zones have gone up from less than 1,000 to nearly 24,000 within the past fortnight, officials said on Thursday.
There were 800 containment zones in the national capital on December 30, 2020. According to the latest official figures, the number rose to 23,997 by mid-January.
South Delhi topped the list of 11 districts in the city with 8,383 containment zones. The districts with higher number of containment zones included West Delhi at 4,109, Central Delhi at 3,493, and New Delhi at 2,354.
The lowest number of containment zones were in East Delhi at 151, North East Delhi at 279, North West at 547 and South West Delhi at 851.
A residential area or an apartment is contained usually if three coronavirus-infected people live there. However, district authorities have discretionary powers to declare a residential area a containment zone if even one person is found infected.
Most of the containment zones in Delhi are micron ones with less than three patients. Currently, an infected person with mild symptoms or without any symptom has to undergo seven days' home isolation.
Maharashtra Records Marginal Dip In New Covid Cases At 46,406Maharashtra on Thursday reported 46,406 new coronavirus cases, 317 less than a day before, and 36 more fatalities linked to the infection, the health department said.
No new Omicron infection was reported in the state, it said.
With the fresh additions, the state's overall tally of those infected with coronavirus rose to 70,81,067, while the death count mounted to 1,41,737, the department said.
On Wednesday, the state had reported 46,723 cases and 32 fatalities.
Also, 34,658 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recovered cases to 66,83,769, the department said.
The coronavirus recovery rate in the state stands at 94.39 per cent.
Currently, 17,95,631 people are in home quarantine and another 9,124 in institutional quarantine, it added.
England Cuts Covid Self-Isolation Period To 5 Days To Boost EconomyThe UK government said Thursday it will cut the minimum self-isolation period for those with Covid-19 in England from seven to five days to help boost economic activity.
In a statement to MPs announcing the change, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the government had reviewed the policy to make sure it maximised "activity in the economy" while minimising "the risk of infectious people leaving isolation".
"Any curbs on our freedoms must be an absolute last resort and that we shouldn't keep them in place for a day longer than absolutely necessary," Javid added.
We Have To Be Cautious But No Need To Panic, Says PM On OmicronVaccines are the best bet to fight coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed this evening after a meeting with Chief Ministers as the country reports an alarming surge in infections driven by the new Omicron variant.
"Omicron is spreading in many countries including ours. While fighting this variant, we must be prepared for the next strain. The biggest weapon against Covid is vaccination. Ninety-two per cent adult population in the country has been given the first dose of vaccine. The rumors on vaccines need to be countered," PM Modi said.
Tested Covid+ Using Home Kits? Maharashtra Says Report ResultsMaharashtra government today appealed to people and asked them to report to the concerned authorities if they test positive for Covid in a home test kit or rapid antigen test.
"It seems that there are large numbers of Covid Positive cases which have been tested on these kits but have not been reported to the concerned authorities and such persons appears to be in Home isolation," said Pradeep Vyas, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Maharashtra in a letter to all state authorities.
Dr Vyas said that among all the tests being sent for genome sequencing, 70% were found to be the Delta variant of coronavirus.
PM Modi's Virtual Meet With Chief Ministers As Covid Cases SurgePrime Minister Narendra Modi is holding an online meeting with chief ministers today amid a massive spike in Covid cases nationwide over the past few days and weeks.
This morning India reported over 2.47 lakh new cases in the previous 24 hours - an increase of 25 per cent from yesterday.
Yogi Adityanath's Appeal As UP Allows Mass Holy Dip Amid Covid SurgeAs Omicron drives a massive surge in cases across the country, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to go ahead with a "Magh Mela" in Prayagraj, where lakhs of devotees are expected to take a holy dip tomorrow.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who refused to take a cue from neighbouring Uttarakhand to ban the gathering, today put out an appeal ahead of the "Makar Sankranti" dip at Sangam, the confluence of three rivers in Prayagraj.
Those symptomatic or not double vaccinated should not attend the fair, said the Chief Minister, who faces an important test ahead as he seeks reelection in the February-March UP polls.
India's New COVID-19 Rules: Why They're Needed, What's At RiskIndia has eased its COVID-19 rules on testing, quarantine and hospital admissions in a bid to free up resources for its neediest people, a strategy hailed by experts even though it carries the risk of a heavy undercount of infections and deaths.
The moves will offer a breathing space for healthcare facilities, often overstretched in the nation of 1.4 billion, as they battle a 33-fold surge in infections over the past month from the highly contagious Omicron variant.
This week, federal authorities told states to drop mandatory testing for contacts of confirmed cases unless they were old or battling other conditions, while halving the isolation period to a week and advising hospital care only for the seriously ill.
Covid News: Wear Two Masks To Keep Omicron At Bay, These Experts SayHigh-risk people should consider wearing two face masks to guard against contracting the Omicron variant, two Hong Kong virus experts said, as the city attempts to stamp out an outbreak of the highly infectious virus.
Wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask can "tighten the gap not covered by the surgical mask, which is often very loose," said David Hui, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a member of the government's scientific committee. He recommended the measure for high-exposure groups, people in outbreak areas and on public transport.
Coronavirus News Updates: Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine Gets Additional Warning On Bleeding Side EffectThe fact sheet for Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine has been revised by U.S. regulators to warn of the risk of a rare bleeding disorder.
The Food and Drug Administration said in a letter to the company on Tuesday that adverse-event reports suggested an increased risk of immune thrombocytopenia, or ITP, during the 42 days following vaccination. Symptoms include bruising or excessive or unusual bleeding, according to the agency.
The changes to the fact sheet include recommendations to vaccination providers about giving the J&J shot to people with existing medical conditions, including those who have a low level of platelets, a type of blood cell that helps stop bleeding.
Coronavirus India News: Assam Governor tests positive for CovidAssam Governor Jagdish Mukhi has been hospitalised after he tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Thursday.
Mr Mukhi tested positive for the infection on Wednesday.
"The governor was admitted at the Apollo Hospital in the city last evening. He is in a stable condition," the official said.
His wife has tested negative for the infection and is staying at Raj Bhawan.
India reports 2.47 lakh new Covid cases in a day, 380 fresh deaths
India recorded 2,47,417 fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours, the highest since May last year. The positivity rate went up from 11.5% yesterday to 13%. The country also reported 380 new deaths in the same 24-hour period.
Why Covid Home Isolation Is Set At 7 Days: Health Agency Chief ExplainsThe Centre on Wednesday said lateral flow tests, which includes rapid-antigen and home-antigen tests, can detect Covid from the third day after exposure to the virus to day eight while the RT-PCR test can diagnose the infection for up to 20 days.
At a press conference, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said on the first day one will test negative whatever tests they undertake.
"It takes time for the virus to grow in your system and that is known as the latent period. From day three it will be detectable in the Lateral Flow Tests and up to day eight which is the infectious period.
"That is why, the discharge policy and home isolation policy are focusing on the seven-day period," Mr Bhargava explained.
People Forced To Live In Metal Boxes Under China's Zero Covid Rule. Watch VideoRows upon rows of metal boxes to house suspected COVID-19 patients, lines of buses taking people to quarantine camps were seen in a set of nightmarish social media videos from China.
The scenes, which seemed straight out of a dystopian movie, are among the several strict preventive measures the country is taking to check the spread of COVID-19.
China has imposed several draconian rules on its citizens under its "zero Covid" policy, placing millions under quarantine even as Beijing prepares to host next month's Winter Olympics.
People, including pregnant women, children and elderly, are being forced to stay in these crammed boxes furnished with a wooden bed and a toilet - for as long as two weeks - even if a single person tests positive in their locality, reported Daily mail.
"Omicron Not Common Cold": Centre Counters Its EpidemiologistOmicron is not common cold and it is a misconception that is spreading, the government's top Covid adviser VK Paul said today, a day after the country's top epidemiologist called Omicron infections as mild as a cold and said everybody would likely catch it.
"Omicron is not common cold. We are seeing this misconception spreading; it's our responsibility to slow it down. Let's mask up and get vaccinated, whoever is due," said Dr Paul, who heads the Covid Task Force.
"It's a fact that vaccines are helpful to an extent. Vaccination is a critical pillar of our Covid response," he added while briefing reporters.
Delhi Has 27,561 New Cases, 2nd-Highest Since April, Positivity Rate 26%Delhi today logged 27,561 fresh Covid cases, which is a 29 per cent rise over the cases in the last 24 hours and the most number of cases in a day since April. The positivity rate has touched 26 per cent, which is the highest in seven months.
On April 20 last year, the city reported 28,395 cases.
The city also reported 40 Covid deaths, which is the most since June 10, when it reported 44 deaths.