India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 134.61 crore (File)
India reported 7,974 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday. The number of active cases in the country declined to 87,245, according to the Union health ministry.
The number of active coronavirus cases in the country now account for 0.25 per cent of the total caseload, lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.38 per cent, the highest since March 2020, said the ministry. "Active cases constitute 0.25 per cent of the country's total positive cases, which is lowest since March 2020," the ministry said.
With the administration of 68,89,025 COVID-19 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, the cumulative vaccination coverage of India has exceeded 135.25 crore, the Union Health Ministry informed on Wednesday.
The ministry's press release said, "India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 134.61 Cr (1,34,61,14,483) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 1,41,10,887 sessions."
Here are the highlights on Coronavirus cases in India:
Madhya Pradesh inoculates 82 pc of its residents with second COVID-19 vaccine dose
Madhya Pradesh inoculated around 82 per cent of its residents with the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, said Vishvas Sarang, State Minister of Medical Education on Thursday.
"We organized the 10th mega vaccination drive in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday in which we achieved three records. Madhya Pradesh now tops the chart in the country in terms of inoculating the maximum percentage of its population. We have given the second dose to 82.3 per cent of residents of the state," said Sarang.
"We vaccinated around 15 lakh person today that is even more than Uttar Pradesh. Also, we have vaccinated more than 5.5 lakh pregnant women. Overall we have vaccinated 9.70 crore people," he added.
As per the Directorate of Health Services, 18 new cases were reported in Madhya Pradesh till 6 pm on Thursday.
Punjab sees 40 fresh Covid cases
Punjab's coronavirus caseload increased to 6,03,853 on Thursday as 40 more people tested positive for the infection, while the deaths climbed to 16,625 with two more fatalities, according to a medical bulletin.
Of the fresh cases, seven were reported from Kapurthala, followed by five from Mohali, the bulletin stated.
There are 333 active coronavirus cases in Punjab, it said.
Twenty-seven more people recovered from the infection, taking the number of recoveries to 5,86,895, it said. Chandigarh recorded 14 fresh coronavirus cases that pushed its infection tally to 65,673, while the death toll remained unchanged at 1,076, the bulletin said.
Omicron Count In India Rises To 83 After 10 New Cases ReportedKarnataka, Delhi and Gujarat together reported 10 new cases of Omicron variant taking the countrywide tally of this strain to 83 even as the national capital with a total of 85 new Covid cases recorded its highest single-day rise in the last 137 days
113 countries accept India's Covid vaccination certificate: Centre in Rajya SabhaA total of 113 countries accept India's Covid vaccination certificate with some of them having explicitly reached agreements for mutual recognition of certificates with India, while others have their own protocols which apply to all inoculated travellers, the government informed the Rajya Sabha. In a written reply to a question in the Upper House, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the government assigns high priority to smooth travel abroad of Indian nationals and noted that quarantine stipulations as well as entry conditions of other nations have emerged as obstacles in that regard.
"Recognising the necessity of facilitating travel especially of workers, professionals, students, business people, tourists and those with families abroad has been a focal point of our diplomacy in recent months," he said.
Bharat Biotech donates 2 lakh Covaxin doses to VietnamHyderabad-based biotechnology company Bharat Biotech on Thursday announced that it will donate two lakh doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin to Vietnam.
The announcement was made by Bharat Biotech Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella at a function hosted by Vuong Dinh Hue, President of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
This donation represents a gesture of goodwill to provide access to Bharat Biotech's WHO approved, indigenously developed Covaxin to fight the COVID-19 pandemic across borders. Covaxin has received an Emergency use listing (EUL) in Vietnam, the company said in a statement.
Omicron cases in Canada's Ontario could soon swamp critical care units: PanelThe Omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in Ontario, Canada's most populous province, and could overwhelm intensive care units early next month without prompt intervention, a panel of experts said on Thursday.
The panel released modeling which said increased vaccination alone would not be enough to fight Omicron. Instead, it called for public health measures to cut peoples' contacts by 50% and ensure the rapid roll-out of booster doses.
Jabs, boosters "vital" against Omicron: EU leadersEU leaders said on Thursday that vaccinations and booster shots would be vital to counter the Omicron coronavirus variant as countries stepped up restrictions to slow its startling spread.
The EU summit they were participating in also emphasised the need for "coordinated efforts" based on science, amid go-it-alone measures applied notably by Italy.
The joint conclusion, swiftly adopted at the beginning of the one-day gathering, underlined the urgency Omicron has injected into European policy-making just three weeks after South African researchers detected the strain.
Russia backs Covid passes for public placesRussian lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation in a first reading that will require people to show health passes to access public places like bars and restaurants, as the country gears up for a winter Covid wave. Russia is one of the hardest-hit countries with more than 10 million infections and Europe's highest death toll from the pandemic.
But officials have faced a vaccine-sceptic population and have sounded the alarm over the new Omicron variant and approaching winter holidays that they say could bring a new surge in infections.
England's chief medic urges caution as Omicron cases surgeEngland's chief medical officer Chris Whitty on Thursday urged people to "prioritise" social and work interactions before and during Christmas, as the government grapples with surging Omicron coronavirus cases.
"People should prioritise what really matters to them and then cut down on the things that don't," Whitty told a panel of lawmakers in parliament.
"It may be that what really matters to them is going to the office party. Fine. But I think it really should be for people to make those choices."
Britain recorded 78,610 coronavirus cases in laboratories Wednesday, the highest daily total since the pandemic hit last year, as the country nervously awaits further evidence of the variant's severity and impact.
EU agency to decide on Novavax Covid jab next weekThe EU's drug regulator said on Thursday it would decide whether the Novavax coronavirus jab will become the fifth vaccine approved for the bloc at a meeting next Monday.
The US firm's shot uses a more traditional technology than current vaccines, which experts hope could ease hesitancy and scepticism among the unvaccinated.
"Our human medicines committee will hold an extraordinary meeting on 20 Dec to review the application for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Novavax," the European Medicines Agency said on Twitter. "We will communicate the outcome of this scientific discussion."
Sweden extends COVID vaccination rules, warns may need to do more soonSweden will require visitors from other Nordic nations to have a vaccine pass to cross the border as it gradually tightens restrictions in the face of rising number of COVID-19 infections and worries about the Omicron variant, the government said on Thursday.
Sweden has seen new infections jump in recent days, if from levels below most European countries. It has reintroduced a limited number of measures and authorities said further steps would be needed if infections kept rising.
"The new virus variant Omicron makes it hard to predict how things will develop," Health Minister Lena Hallengren told a news conference. "In Sweden, we are in a relatively better position, but even here infections and the burden on the health care system is increasing."
Covid-infected Bangladesh returnee tests negative for Omicron variant: ReportA man, who was found infected with COVID-19 in West Bengal after returning from Bangladesh, tested negative for the Omicron variant of coronavirus, a health department official said. The patient contracted the Delta strain of coronavirus, he said.
The man, a resident of Barasat in North 24 Parganas district, was found positive for the disease on December 10, and his sample was sent for genome sequencing to ascertain whether he had contracted the new Omicron variant, which has been classified as a highly transmissible virus of concern.
Odisha records 173 new COVID-19 casesOdisha recorded 173 new COVID-19 cases, 45 less than the previous day, pushing the tally to 10,52,318, a health department bulletin said. The COVID-19 death count rose to 8,440 as one more person died. Fifty-three other coronavirus patients have died due to comorbidities so far, according to official data.
Of the 173 new cases, Khurda district reported 84, while Cuttack registered 12. Twenty-six children were among those infected, the bulletin said.
New Covid Wave Overburdens France's Hospitals, AgainDoctor Ruxandra Divan, an intensive care anaesthetist in eastern France, slumped down onto her haunches against a wall of her department, exhausted by the prospect of tackling a new COVID-19 wave with a depleted staff.
Omicron Infects 70 Times Faster But Is Less Severe, Study Says The omicron variant infects around 70 times faster than delta and the original Covid-19 strain, though the severity of illness is likely to be much lower, according to a University of Hong Kong study that adds weight to the early on-ground observations from South African doctors.
The supercharged speed of omicron's spread in the human bronchus was found 24 hours following infection, according to a Wednesday statement from the university. The study, conducted by a team of researchers led byMichael Chan Chi-wai, found that the newest variant of concern replicated less efficiently -- more than 10 times lower -- in the human lung tissue than the original strain which may signal "lower severity of disease."
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Puducherry Logs 24 New Covid CasesThe union territory of Puducherry added 24 fresh coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours taking the overall tally to 1,29,285 on Thursday. The 24 new cases were identified at the end of the examination of 2,501 samples and were spread over Puducherry (15), Karaikal (six) and Mahe (three).
One more person succumbed to the infection in Puducherry during the last 24 hours pushing the death count to 1,879.
Coronavirus: US' Cornell University Reports Over 900 COVID-19 Cases, Many Infections Are Of Omicron VariantCornell University has reported 903 COVID-19 cases among students from December 7-13, and varsity officials have said that a "very high percentage" of them are Omicron variant cases in fully vaccinated individuals, reported CNN.
The COVID-19 dashboard of the university was updated late on Tuesday and showed a jump in the number of infections.
Joel Malina, Vice President for University Relations, said in a statement that virtually every case of the Omicron variant to date has been found in fully vaccinated students, a portion of whom had also received a booster shot. Nearly 97 per cent of the students in the university are vaccinated.
Over 16.42 Crore Covid Vaccine Doses Available With States, UTs: Centre
Over 16.42 crore Covid vaccine doses are still available with states and Union Territories for inoculation, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. More than 141.80 crore vaccine doses have been provided to them so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category, it said.
No New COVID-19 Case In Andamans, Tally t 7,698
Andaman and Nicobar Islands did not record a single fresh COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours on Thursday. The caseload in the archipelago remained at 7,698. The death count stood at 129 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported during the period. Two more patients were cured of the disease on Wednesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 7,566. The Union Territory now has three active cases.
India Covid Update Today
Vaccination: 135.25 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
India's Active caseload currently stands at 87,245
Active cases account for less than 1% of total cases, currently at 0.25%; Lowest since March 2020
Recovery Rate currently at 98.38%; Highest since March 2020
7,948 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to 3,41,54,879
Daily positivity rate (0.57%) less than 2% for last 73 days
Weekly Positivity Rate (0.64%) less than 1% for last 32 days
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 119 New COVID-19 Cases In Maharashtra's Thane, 1 Related Death
Thane has added 119 new cases of coronavirus, taking the infection tally in the Maharashtra district to 5,70,794 on Thursday. One more person also succumbed to the viral infection, which raised the death count in the district to 11,596.
Vaccines Can Become Variant-Proof, Says New Study Amid Omicron AlertResearchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have found rare, naturally occurring T cells that are capable of targeting a protein found in SARS-CoV-2 and a range of other Coronaviruses.
The findings suggested that a component of this protein, called viral polymerase, could potentially be added to COVID-19 vaccines to create a longer-lasting immune response and increase protection against new variants of the virus.
Most COVID-19 vaccines use a part of the spike protein found on the surface of the virus to prompt the immune system to produce antibodies. However, newer variants - such as Delta and Omicron - carry mutations to the spike protein, which can make them less recognisable to the immune cells and antibodies stimulated by vaccination.
Assam reports 131 new COVID-19 cases, two deathsAssam's COVID-19 tally rose to 6,18,988 as 131 more people tested positive for the infection on Wednesday while two new fatalities pushed the deaths to 6,137, the National Health Mission (NHM) bulletin said.
The two COVID-19 deaths were reported from Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar district, it said. The current death rate in the state is 0.99 per cent while 1,347 COVID-19 patients have died due to other causes, according to the bulletin.
The state now has 1,074 active COVID-19 cases.
Of the 131 new cases, Kamrup (Metro) reported 55 cases followed by 13 in Nalbari, 10 in Kamrup (Rural) and nine in Dibrugarh.
Assam had reported 141 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths on Tuesday.
The new cases were detected out of 31,849 tests, taking the total number of samples tested so far to 2,61,92,5
"Omicron cases likely to surge in January across Maharashtra"
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is likely to see a surge in cases in January next year across Maharashtra, said Additional Chief Secretary Health Dr Pradeep Vyas on Wednesday.
According to Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Omicron infection is increasing rapidly in the world and patients are also being found in Maharashtra.
"These patients can be found not only in big cities but also in small towns. Next month, in January, a large number of people in the state will be infected with omicron," said Vyas during a presentation at the state cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed all agencies to make every effort to give two doses of vaccine to all. The variant has been rapidly spreading in Maharashtra with the highest number of cases across the country being reported from the state.