Coronavirus highlights: Maharashtra's positivity rate remains above 10% as state logs 796 new cases

India added 9,765 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,46,06,541, while the active cases increased to 99,763, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday. However, the biggest development in the Covid front today was India reporting its first two cases of Omicron variant from Karnataka.

Three out of 861 passengers positive for Covid-19 in Maharashtra; samples sent for sequencing

Maharashtra reports 796 new Covid-19 cases, positivity rate remains above 10%

Maharashtra issues new guidelines for air travel; mandates institutional quarantine for passengers from high-risk countries

Two foreign nationals with Omicron variant showing mild symptoms

Prepared to tackle Omicron variant: CM Bommai

883 samples sequenced so far, all found to have Delta variant: INSACOG

India's vaccinations cross 125-crore mark

Karnataka reports India's first cases of Omicron

Two cases of Omicron detected in Karnataka: Health Ministry

Omicron more infectious, transmissible than other variants: Health Ministry

Omicron variant has been detected in 9 countries so far: Health Ministry

84.3% adult population received one dose of Covid vaccine; 49.2% fully vaccinated: Union Health Ministry

Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh have over 10% test positivity rate: Union Health Ministry

Only two states, Kerala and Maharashtra, have over 10,000 active cases: Union Health Ministry

United States reports 1,37,465 new Covid-19 cases, highest one-day spike since September, according to a Times Now report

Covid-19: Over 15 lakh vaccinated in Madhya Pradesh mega drive

Over 15.79 lakh people were vaccinated against Covid-19 during a mega campaign organised by the Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday, an official said Thursday.

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Omicron scare: Maharashtra considering revision of air travel guidelines

Maharashtra Chief Secretary Debashish Chakravarty on Thursday said the state government was considering a revision of its air travel guidelines, a day after the Centre wrote to the state saying its order was in divergence with the Covid-19 SoPs and guidelines issued by the Union government

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Institutional quarantine for passenegers from 6 'ultra-risk' countries in Maharashtra, according to an NDTV report

The six "ultra-risk" countriesare South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lasotho, Zimbabwe and Eswatini.

All 477 people who travelled from 11 countries to Tamil Nadu tested negative for Omicron

UK approves GlaxoSmithKline drug to treat Covid-19

British regulators on Thursday approved GlaxoSmithKline drug sotrovimab to treat those at high risk of developing severe Covid-19 symptoms, with the manufacturer saying it "retains activity" against the new Omicron variant.

4 Covid-19 patients from 'at-risk' countries admitted to Delhi hospital showing no symptoms

35-year-old travelling from UK tests positive for Covid-19 at Hyderabad international airport

UAE reports first case of Omicron

UAE has reported its first case of Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, on Wednesday. The the country’s Ministry of Health and Prevention has urged all residents to get vaccine booster shots.

Till now, 50 police personnel have tested positive during the ongoing Covid-19 testing of police personnel, Uttarakhand DGP

Irrespective of vaccine status, Tamil Nadu to test passengers arriving from at-risk countries

In view of the Omicron threat, the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Public health and Preventive medicine has written to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) that passengers arriving at the four international airports in the state follow the guidelines onon vaccines provided by the department.

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12 new cases of Covid-19 detected in Madhya Pradesh as total active cases rises to 128

4 more travellers from 'at-risk' countries test positive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport

UP government makes thermal screening mandatory for all incoming travellers

In response to the emergence of the Omicron variant , the Uttar Pradesh government has established new guidelines. "All travellers coming to UP will go through thermal scanning; any Covid positive traveller will be isolated. Every district's railway and bus station will have a medical team for Covidsampling," the state government ordered

Mumbai Police use Ranveer Singh's '83' dialogue for Covid protocols

The official Instagram handle of the Mumbai Police has shared a Bollywood reference yet again to create awareness about Covid protocols.

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RT-PCR of every traveller coming from abroad is mandatory at the airport, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain

Omicron is a setback for the world, with 11 countries identified as 'at risk,' Jyotiraditya Scindia.

It has been our effort over the last 6 months to slowly increase flights, internationally as well...Omicron is a setback as all countries across the world need to be safe. Our government has categorised 11 countries as 'at risk' -Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Lok Sabha.

Union Health Minister meets state officials to discuss the rising concerns regarding the Omicron variant

Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Health Minister, is reportedly conducting a virtual meeting with state representative to discuss mounting worries over the Omicron version of Covid-19.

Will take weeks to determine how dangerous Omicron is, says scientists

According to scientists, it will take weeks of testing to determine what additional superpowers these mutations confer on omicron, if any.

Researchers will examine what's going on in the real world by testing samples collected from patients, sequencing their genomes to check if omicron is to blame for the infections, and seeing if more and more samples turn out to be positive.

Read More:Mysteries of Omicron variant could take weeks to untangle

India tour of South Africa might be pushed back by one week amid Omicron scare, according to ANI

India’s Cumulative Covid-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 124.96 Cr

India’s Cumulative Covid-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 124.96 Cr (1,24,96,19,515). More than 80.35 Lakh doses were administered in last 24 hours.

Japans drops blanket ban plan on inbound flight reservations

In a partial reversal of a decision issued a day earlier on worries about the Omicron variant, Japan has scrapped a plan to put a blanket halt to all new inbound flight reservations.

Serum Institute seeks DCGI's approval for Covishield booster dose

Serum Institute of India has sought the drug regulator's approval to administer Covishield as a booster dose, citing adequate stock of the vaccine in the country and the demand for a booster shot due to the emergence of Omicron coronavirus variant.

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Travelers from nations that aren't classified as 'at risk' to be randomly sampled at Tiruchirappalli aiport

Travelers from nations that aren't classified as 'at risk' will be randomly sampled. The entire region is sanitised on a regular basis: Tiruchirappalli International Airport Director S. Dharmaraj

'Exponential spike in Covid cases in past 2 weeks

Health experts told parliament on Wednesday that the Omicron variety has caused a substantial increase in coronavirus cases in South Africa in recent weeks, calling the situation "worrying."
According to Michelle Groome of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, there has been a "exponential spike" in the previous two weeks, from a weekly average of roughly 300 new cases per day to 1,000 last week and 3,500 most recently.

India reports 9,765 fresh Covid-19 cases, 477 deaths

India on Thursday reported 9,765 fresh Covid-19 cases and 477 deaths linked to the virus in the last 24 hours, according to Union Health MInistry.

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WHO warns of 'toxic mix' as EU chief mulls mandatory Covid jabs

The WHO issued stern warnings Wednesday on the dangers of vaccination apathy and the European Union put mandatory jabs on the table, as the United States registered its first case of the fast-spreading Omicron strain of the coronavirus.

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Omicron scare lengthens queues for second dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Karnataka

News of the Omicron variant has been creating long lines of people queuing up to get the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

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Ireland reports 1st case of Omicron variant

Ireland has detected its first case of theOmicroncoronavirus variant, said the country's Department of Health. The case is associated with travel from one of the southern African countries that have been declared by the Irish government as high-risk countries for the spread of the new variant.

South Korea reports another record of Coronavirus cases at 5,266

The Omicron strain could most likely displace the Delta variant as the dominant strain of coronavirus: Adrian Puren

The Omicron strain could most likely displace the Delta variant as the dominant strain of coronavirus, says Adrian Puren, acting executive director of South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Tamil Nadu authorities issue new SoPs for foreign travellers on the emergence of Omicron

Six Covid cases detected in India on screening passengers of 11 flights from 'at-risk' countries

Six Covid-19 cases were reported on Wednesday among 3,476 passengers in 11 flights from "at-risk" countries and the samples have been sent for genomic sequencing, the Health Ministry said amid concerns over the Omicron variant of coronavirus. The flights landed across the country, between midnight and 4 pm on Wednesday.

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Karnataka CM to meet Union Health Minister to discuss administration of booster shots

In the wake of new Covid-19 worries, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday that the state government plans to give booster vaccination doses to health and front-line workers, and that he will discuss the matter with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

Moderna exec says company could have Omicron booster ready in March

(Reuters)

Omicron unravels travel industry's plans for a comeback

Tourism businesses that were just finding their footing after nearly two years of devastation wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic are being rattled again as countries throw up new barriers to travel in an effort to contain the omicron variant.

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Chaos at Bengaluru airport as international passengers line up for mandatory Covid tests

Chaos and confusion reigned at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) here on Wednesday, the first day of the union government’s revised guidelines for inbound overseas passengers.

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US announces first Omicron case in traveller returning from South Africa

The United States on Wednesday announced its first confirmed case of the Covid-19 Omicron variant had been detected in California, in a fully vaccinated traveller who had recently returned from South Africa and was recovering from mild symptoms.

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