COVID-19 in India: A total of 127.93 crore vaccine doses have been administered till now. (File)
India recorded a daily spike of 8,306 Covid cases on Monday, taking the total active caseload of cases to 98,416 -- lowest in 552 days.
India's Omicron tally is steadily rising with fresh cases of the variant in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Delhi. Seven in Maharashtra, nine in Jaipur and a man in Delhi were found positive with the variant, taking the total count in the country to 21.
A total of 127.93 crore vaccine doses have been administered till now in India under Nationwide Vaccination Drive. The daily positivity was recorded at 0.94 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 0.78 per cent.
Omicron, first detected in South Africa on November 25, has been described as a "variant of concern" by the WHO.
International airports across India are intensively screening and testing all passengers from 'at-risk' countries. In line with central guidelines, all passengers from such countries have to take RT-PCR tests on arrival. The test result has to be negative in order to leave the airport.
Here are the Highlights on Coronavirus cases:
Coronavirus News: SC Upholds RBI Regulations For Export Ban On PPE Kits
"Democratic interests that secure the well-being of the masses cannot be judicially aborted to preserve the unfettered freedom to conduct business, of the few," the Supreme Court said upholding the ban on export of PPE kits.
As per the report given by the National Institute of Virology, two more people have been found to be infected with the Omicron variant. The state tally of Omicron cases has gone to 10 now.
Italy imposes new Covid rules on unvaccinated
People in Italy unvaccinated against Covid-19 can no longer go to the theatre, cinemas, live music venues or major sporting events under new rules that came into force Monday.
Only those who have recently recovered from Covid-19 are exempt from the rules, which represent a significant tightening of restrictions in the face of rising infections.
New measures are also being enforced on public transport, with a so-called Green Pass showing proof of vaccination, recent recovery or a negative Covid-19 test now required even on local services.
A man in his 50s was fined 400 euros for not having his pass on Monday morning as he got off a bus near Piazza del Popolo in Rome, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 1 new Covid cases in Ladakh, 34 recover
Ladakh has reported 31 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally to 21,714, while the number of active cases in the Union Territory has come down to 295, officials said on Monday.
Of the total 31 fresh cases, all of these cases were reported in Leh, they said.
The Union Territory has registered 215 coronavirus-related deaths -- 157 in Leh and 58 in Kargil -- since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, they said.
Thirty-four more patients were discharged from hospital from Leh after they recovered from the infection. The recovery count has reached 21,204 in the UT, they said.
Coronavirus LIVE Updates: No fresh COVID-19 case in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Andaman and Nicobar Islands did not record any new COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours while two more persons recuperated from the disease, a health department official said on Monday.
The COVID-19 tally in the union territory remained at 7,688, he said.
A total of 7,555 people have recovered from COVID-19 so far, the official said.
The union territory had reported zero COVID-19 cases on Sunday.
The archipelago now has four active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district. The other districts - North and Middle Andaman and Nicobar - are coronavirus free, he said.
The COVID-19 death toll remained at 129 as no fresh fatality has been reported in the last 24 hours.
With Covid cases among students, Karnataka Minister says state will stop schools if need arisesWith COVID-19 cases rising among students in various schools and colleges, Karnataka Primary and Secondary Education Minister BC Nagesh said the government will not backtrack from stopping exams and schools if situation arises.
He, however, maintained that the experts were of the opinion that there was no problem in holding regular off-line classes.
"We will not backtrack if a need arises to stop exams and schools. However, in the present situation, all the experts are of the opinion that there is no problem," he said.
The minister said the government was closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation on an hourly basis. He added that the government will make alternative arrangements with a view to avoid any problem.
Puducherry records 8 new Covid casesThe number of fresh coronavirus cases in Puducherry dipped below 10 with eight infections being reported in the last 24 hours, the first time since the pandemic outbreak.
The overall tally rose to 1,29,093 following the detection of the eight cases, Director of the Health Department G Sriramulu said.
The Puducherry region accounted for just six cases out of the new infections while Karaikal and Mahe regions had one case each. Yanam, an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh did not report any fresh case.
Mizoram records 92 new COVID-19 patients, 2 deathsMizoram reported 92 new COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 1,36,454, a Health Department official said. Among the new patients is ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) legislator and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary board vice-chairman C Lalmuanpuia, he said.
The death count rose to 507 as two men from Aizawl district died, he said.
The single-day positivity rate dipped to 5.89 per cent from 10.66 per cent on the previous day as the fresh cases were detected after testing 1,563 samples, he said.
Aizawl district reported the highest new cases at 54, followed by Champhai district (eight) and Serchhip district (seven), the official said.
Active COVID-19 cases in country lowest in 552 daysWith 8,306 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,46,41,561, while the active cases declined to 98,416, the lowest in 552 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The death count climbed to 4,73,537 with 211 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 10,000 for ten straight days and less than 50,000 for 162 consecutive days now.
The active cases comprise 0.28 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.35 per cent, the ministry said.
39 Medical Students Test Positive In TelanganaAt least 39 medical students of Chalmeda anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences at Bommakal in Karimnagar district of Telangana have tested positive for COVID-19.
The college had held its annual day fest over a week ago and that could have been the source of spread of the virus.
All the college students and staff are being tested and the college campus premises has been sanitised.
Omicron has higher risk of reinfection than Delta, says Singapore health ministry: ReportSingapore's Ministry of Health has said that early clinical observations globally suggest that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may be more transmissible and have a higher risk of reinfection compared to the Delta and Beta variants of the virus.
"This means that there is a higher likelihood of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 to be reinfected with the Omicron variant," Channel News Asia quoted the ministry as saying on Sunday in an update on the Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, the city-state reported one more "preliminarily positive" Omicron case on Sunday. The 37-year old vaccinated permanent resident was on the same flight as two other "preliminary positive" cases that landed here from South Africa on December 1.
Australia Confirms Community Transmission of Omicron VariantFive people in Sydney, Australia's largest city, have contracted the omicron variant of the coronavirus locally, New South Wales health authorities confirmed.
The cases are linked to two schools and a climbing gym in Sydney's western suburbs, which may also be the source of a confirmed omicron infection in the Australian Capital Territory, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said Sunday. Urgent genome testing is underway for a number of other cases linked to the venues and should be available in coming days, she said in a video update.