COVID-19 Omicron In India: Omicron soars to 1,892, Centre writes to States

Weekend curfew will be imposed from 10 pm of Friday to 5 am of Monday in Karnataka, in view of rising COVID-19 cases, news agency ANI reported quoting Karnataka minister R Ashoka. He further said that theatres, malls, pubs and bars will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity and no gatherings will be allowed at public places. All international passengers to undergo rapid RT-PCR test. If negative, allowed to leave and stay under 7-day home quarantine. Those found positive to undergo institutional quarantine. Latest Protocol for those arriving at Mumbai International Airport from abroad. All international passengers to undergo rapid RT-PCR test. If negative, allowed to leave and stay under 7-day home quarantine. Those found positive to undergo institutional quarantine. pic.twitter.com/E7MHpYEnbE — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Over 37.5 lakh children received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, the second day of the inoculation drive for those in the age group of 15-18 years, according to Union Health Ministry. In the latest development, 145 students tested positive for COVID at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in Katra on Tuesday. The university was closed on January 1 after 13 students were tested positive for the virus. Bihar imposes fresh curb in view of rising number of #COVID19 Pre-school& 1 to 8 classes to remain close, online classes will continue. Educational institutions of classes 9-12 will function on 50% capacity. Restrictions to remain in effect from Jan 6 to 21, reads order pic.twitter.com/5O9HldBtWh — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Night curfew will be imposed from 10 pm to 5 am. Religious places to remain close. Malls, cinemas, clubs, swimming pools, stadiums, gyms, parks will also remain close till Jan 21, the order further reads — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 COVID19 | Tamil Nadu reports 2,731 new cases, 9 deaths and 674 discharges today; Active cases 12,412 pic.twitter.com/WTVb7tMgDw — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Night curfew in Bihar from 10 pm to 6 am for 15 days. All gym ,spa , stadium ,malls ,school closed . Shops to be closed after 8 pm. Govt offices to open with 50 percent attendance. We are continuously reviewing the existing health infrastructure and preparedness in all States in the country: Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on the COVID19 situation pic.twitter.com/Cf9HLxkpga — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 1,104 COVID19 cases have been reported in Pune today, taking the positivity rate to 18%: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar pic.twitter.com/c7cLauZMVf — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Physical classes for 1 to 8 standard will be closed till 30th January in Pune district including limits of municipal corporation Pune city and Pimpri Chinchwad. The school classes will continue in online mode: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 A fine of Rs 500 will be imposed for not wearing a face mask in public places and Rs 1000 for spitting in open from tomorrow in Pune: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 West Bengal government writes to the Ministry of Civil Aviation informing it of the State govt's decision to allow domestic flights from Mumbai & Delhi only thrice a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5th January, in view of the current COVID19 situation. Mumbai reports 10,860 fresh infections of COVID19 & 2 deaths; Active cases 47,476 pic.twitter.com/WGfQpt2KaE — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Ban imposed on processions, rallies, public gatherings, social, cultural & sports events in every district. Random testing for COVID-19 at railway stations & borders of the state. Daily reporting of hospital beds, stock of medicines, and availability of oxygen: CMO Chhattisgarh — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 In districts with a positivity rate of 4% or more all schools, Anganwadi centers, libraries, swimming pools, malls, cinemas, marriage palaces, hotels, restaurants, auditoriums should be closed. Night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am should be implemented: CMO Chhattisgarh — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Fresh curbs imposed in Punjab in the wake of the rising COVID-19 infections; Night curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM. #ECWakeUp | Fresh curbs imposed in Punjab in the wake of the rising COVID-19 infections; Night curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM Tune in to watch: https://t.co/oefJxIhn1D pic.twitter.com/rb21VaqMg7 — Republic (@republic) January 4, 2022 'Amma Mini Clinics' were temporary, and the doctors who were recruited for it will be deployed by state health department in works related to battling the third COVID wave: Tamil Nadu Health Minister MA Subramanian on closure of Amma Mini Clinic pic.twitter.com/LfHY1H9lD9 — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Chief Minister MK Stalin himself went out to distribute free masks where he urged people to wear them or else, fine will be imposed: Tamil Nadu Health Minister MA Subramanian pic.twitter.com/SJYOqiaJOl — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 With rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra and Kerala, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said checkposts will be set up in places where there are village-to-village contacts between Karnataka and neighbouring states. He also said the police station under the jurisdiction will be responsible for such checkposts - PTI Punjab | Bars, cinemas halls, malls, restaurants, spas, AC buses will operate at 50% capacity subject to staff being fully vaccinated. Swimming pools & gyms to remain closed. Only fully vaccinated staff to attend Govt, pvt offices: Amritsar Dy Commissioner on COVID19 restrictions pic.twitter.com/QiEAALOuoR — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Punjab | Non-essential movement will be banned from 10pm to 5am. If night curfew is violated, then legal action will be taken. The principle of 'No mask, no service' will be followed. All health workers have to report to their respective duties: Amritsar Dy Commissioner — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Today, Delhi is expected to report 5500 COVID cases, with the positivity rate rising to 8.5%: Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain pic.twitter.com/ECg78sMwDu — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Researchers have found that T cells present in human bodies can provide possible immunity against COVID-19. Research conducted at the University of Melbourne in collaboration with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has revealed that T-cells, or the white blood cells that originate in the bone marrow, can act as a second line of defence against the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The study's proceedings have been published in the peer-reviewed journal Viruses. As per The Guardian, the co-leader of the research, who is from the University of Melbourne, Matthew McKay, said, "Even if Omicron, or some other variant for that matter, can potentially escape antibodies, a robust T-cell response can still be expected to offer protection and help to prevent significant illnes." The research sheds light on how T-cells can provide in the fight against the new mutants of COVID-19. "Based on our data, we anticipate that T-cell responses elicited by vaccines and boosters, for example, will continue to help protect against Omicron, as observed for other variants. We believe this presents some positive news in the global fight against Omicron," he added. During the research, the Australian researchers studied fragments of COVID viral proteins known as epitopes. The samples were taken from patients who were vaccinated against COVID-19 or infected with the virus. Read more Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia remarked, "Most importantly, there will be a curfew on Saturday and Sunday, i.e weekends. We appeal to the people that they should not leave their homes during curfew. They should step out in case of essential purposes such as hospitals. Follow the curfew on Saturday and Sunday, stay at home and work from home. Apart from government offices rendering essential services, everyone will be barred from attending the office and only work from home will be allowed." Additionally, private offices will be allowed to function with 50% strength. Amid the woes faced by commuters on a daily basis, the Delhi metro and local buses can now operate at 100% seating capacity with the caveat that every passenger must wear a mask. These decisions come on a day when Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Addressing an important Press Conference | LIVE https://t.co/ikjwaxtJaX — Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) January 4, 2022 As the world is still battling to curb the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of Coronavirus, scientists in France have discovered a new strain that is said to have 46 mutations. According to a research paper released on medRxiv, the new variant is more transmissible and vaccine-resistant than the existing Omicron variant, news agency Sputnik reported. Scientists at the Méditerranée Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) first discovered the new variant, called as B.1.640.2. or ‘variant IHU’, on December 10. They had announced that the new strain was discovered in Forcalquier, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region. At least 12 cases of the new variant have been reported near Marseilles, with reports indicating that majority of the victims were hospitalised. "In the Marseilles geographical area, we have numerous cases of this novel variant. We have named it as IHU variant. Two new genomes had already been submitted," Professor Philippe Colson, the leader of the department that discovered the new variant stated in the research paper. According to the paper, the first case was a fully vaccinated man who returned from a trip to Cameroon in November. He tested positive for the COVID-19 three days later and developed moderate respiratory symptoms, as per Sputnik. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has now approved an RT-PCR kit to detect the Omicron variant of the COVID-19. The newly approved testing kit is expected to detect the presence of the new variant of the coronavirus in patients. The RT-PCR kit, Omisure, was earlier sent to the ICMR for approval after continued testing. Amid rising concern over the surge in Omicron cases, the ICMR has now approved Omisure, the RT-PCR kit for targeted testing among patients. The test kit developed by Tata Medical & Diagnostics, Mumbai, for detection of the Omicron variant was announced on December 30. The kit is now the only one in India used to confirm the Omicron variant in patients with its S-Gene Target Failure (SGTF) strategy. The multiplex kit is being marketed by US-based Thermo Fisher. The kit comes as a major aid as analysing the Omicron variant have been an issue among medical experts. Since the Omicron variant underwent several mutations in the S-gene, the SGTF strategy checks and indicates it in patients who are detected COVID positive. However, the kit is expected to be more expensive compared to regular test kits owing to its increased research and development in technology. Earlier on December 17, the ICMR had invited pharma companies to submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) to commercialise diagnostic kits developed for the detection of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Maharashtra schools are gearing up to get the students vaccinated. The vaccination under children vaccination plan for 15-18-year-olds has been started on January 3, 2022. The BMC on January 3 announced the closing of Mumbai schools. Closure of schools in any other districts has not been announced yet. State School Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad has said that the Maharashtra school closing decision has been left with District authorities. Minister has also shared the children vaccination plan for the state. The schools in Maharashtra are preparing to host free vaccination drive for children in the 15-18 age group. Post reviewing the preparations, Minister Varsha Gaikwad took to Twitter to share that most schools have set themselves a target to administer 1st dose of vaccine to maximum students in January, 2022 itself. The Minister tweeted, "Our schools are all geared up to bolster the free vaccination drive for the 15-18 age group. On Monday, reviewed the preparedness of the vaccination drive across districts in the presence of senior officials, districts Collectors/Commissioners, local education & public health staff" Our schools are all geared up to bolster the free vaccination drive for the 15-18 age group.On Monday, reviewed the preparedness of the vaccination drive across districts in the presence of senior officials,districts Collectors/Commissioners, local education & public health staff pic.twitter.com/oA5twW2B44 — Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) January 3, 2022 Jharkhand schools update: Jharkhand Government on January 3 announced that schools, colleges, coaching institutions as well as educational institutions will remain closed. It has been announced that all such institutions running in the state will be closed till January 15, 2022. This has been decided considering the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren took this decision in a meeting of the state disaster management authority which was chaired by him. “Parks, swimming pools, gyms, zoos, tourist places, sports stadiums, schools, colleges, coaching institutes will remain closed till January 15, 2022, but these institutions will have administrative work with 50% capacity. Till January 15, 2022, cinema halls, restaurants, bars and shopping malls will open with 50% capacity,” the Office of the Chief Minister, Jharkhand tweeted. "We will have to impose lockdown in Mumbai if daily COVID cases cross the 20,000-mark," said Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar. We will have to impose lockdown in Mumbai if daily COVID cases cross the 20,000-mark: Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar pic.twitter.com/7AV7fMSjS0 — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022 Trinamool Congress leader and former union minister, Babul Supriyo on Tuesday confirmed that he tested positive for COVID-19. Supriyo informed in a tweet that he along with his wife, father and multiple members of his staff have all tested positive for coronavirus. Informing the news of infection, the TMC leader added that his father had to get the Cocktail vaccine. The TMC leader also raised questions about the high price of the Cocktail vaccine that needs to be given to seriously ill COVID-19 patients. He further asked how people from the economically weaker sections could afford the jab at a price of Rs 61,000. Me, my wife, Dad, multiple staff, hv all tested positive, but my concern is the superhigh Rs.61000/- price of the Cocktail jab that needs to be given SOS to seriously ill #COVID19 patients•Dad who is 84, needed the jab SOS & I hv to buy it on-the-spot• Hw can the EWS afford it? — Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) January 4, 2022 Me, my wife, Dad, multiple staff, hv all tested positive, but my concern is the superhigh Rs.61000/- price of the Cocktail jab that needs to be given SOS to seriously ill #COVID19 patients•Dad who is 84, needed the jab SOS & I hv to buy it on-the-spot• Hw can the EWS afford it? — Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) January 4, 2022 In a significant update, mixing of COVID-19 vaccines Covaxin and Covishield as first and second doses or vice versa were found to be four times effective, a study by AIG Hospitals along with a team of researchers from the Asian Healthcare Foundation has said. Conducted to determine the safety profile of mixing the two vaccines, the most important finding of the study was that the Spike-protein neutralizing antibodies found in the mixed vaccine groups were importantly higher than the same-vaccine groups, D Nageshwar Reddy, Chairman of AIG Hospitals said. What are Spike-protein neutralising antibodies? Spike-protein neutralising antibodies kill the virus and reduce the overall infectivity. "We found that when the first and second dose are of different vaccines, the Spike-protein antibody response is four times higher compared to two-dose of same vaccine," Dr. Reddy who is also among the researchers involved in the study said. Read more about the importance of mixing COVID-19 vaccines study amid third dose decision. The AIG Hospital's study documents have been shared with the ICMR (Indian Council for Medical Research) to be considered as a reference study while deciding on the Prevention doses starting January 10. The results of the latest finding were determined after a total of 330 healthy volunteers who were not vaccinated and had no history of COVID-19 infection were selected and screened for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Out of 330, 44 participants were found to be seronegative, as they didn't have COVID-19 related antibodies. "One of the incidental findings of the study is the seropositivity among the population. Eighty-seven per cent of participants who didn't get vaccinated and never tested positive for COVID had COVID-19 related antibodies. This means our population might have developed significant antibodies against the COVID because of the huge Delta wave that we endured," Dr.Reddy further asserted. The release concluded with a reminder of the third COVID-19 wave of the Omicron variant, which might have milder consequences than the previous Delta variant with less hospitalization, but a large section of the population still getting affected. WHO-acclaimed 'variant of concern', Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to grapple the country as the case count has climbed to 1,892 with 766 patients who recovered from SARS-CoV-2. While Maharashtra has reported the highest number of 568, Delhi's Omicron count crossed over 382. On January 4, 2022, the Ministry of Health stated that 37,379 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in the last 24 hours. Tamil Nadu reported 121 Omicron infections and Kerala reported 185 of the new COVID-19 variant. The states are followed by Rajasthan at 174, Gujarat at 152 cases, Telangana at 67, Haryana at 63, Karnataka at 64, West Bengal at 20, Andhra Pradesh at 17, Odisha at 37, Madhya Pradesh at 9, Uttar Pradesh at 8, Uttarakhand at 8, Goa at 1, Chandigarh at 3, Jammu and Kashmir at 3, Andaman Nicobar Islands at 2, Himachal Pradesh at 1, Ladakh at 1, Manipur at 1 and Punjab at 1. Omicron was first detected on November 11, 2021, in South Africa, then in Botswana and Hong Kong, before it rippled across more than 110 countries, as at last weekend. India's first Omicron case was detected on December 2 and in a mere span of 28 days, it has crossed the 1,400-mark. The cases have been detected across 23 states and Union Territories so far. India has reported an alarming 37,379 COVID-19 cases in the last 24, recording a spike of 10.75% from the preceding day. Meanwhile, a total of 11,007 recoveries have also been reported in the last 24 hours and the active COVID-19 caseload stands at 1,71,830. 11,007 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours and the cumulative tally of recovered patients (since the beginning of the pandemic) is now at 3,43,06,414, the Health Ministry stated. The recovery rate currently stands at 98.13%, the weekly positivity rate at 2.05 %. The daily positivity rate remains at 3.24%, which has been more than 3% for four days consecutively. Also, active cases account for less than 1% of total COVID-19 cases in the country. The Health Ministry has stated that 146.70 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive. "With the administration of close to 1 Cr Doses (99,27,797) vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 146.70 Cr (146,70,18,464) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 1,57,38,732 sessions," the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated. READ | Australia's COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations hit new records Amid the sudden spike in the infection across the country, states and UTs have imposed restrictions. Official sources on December 31, confirmed that Omicron has already started replacing Delta as the dominant variant in India. Odisha recorded the highest single-day jump in COVID-19 cases in over three months on Tuesday as 680 more people tested positive, the Health Department said. The daily positivity rate jumped to 1.31 per cent and 119 children were among those found positive in the past 24 hours, a bulletin stated. Khurda, where Bhubaneswar is located, reported most of the new cases with 263 infections, followed by 69 in Sundargarh and 59 in Cuttack, it said. The state had logged 424 COVID-19 cases on Monday. On September 22, there were 734 infections. The toll mounted to 8,464 as a 50-year-old man from Balasore district died. These are confirmed as deaths due to COVID-19 after an audit, the department said. Fifty-three other COVID-19 patients have died due to comorbidities so far, according to the data. The infection tally rose to 10,56,660 and there are 2,888 active cases. More than 10.45 lakh people have recovered so far, with 146 patients recuperating in the last 24 hours, it said. Amid rising COVID-19 cases, the Punjab government on Tuesday decided to clamp night curfew, shut educational institutions and allow cinema halls to operate with 50 per cent capacity to arrest the spread of the infection, officials said. Movement of individuals for all non-essential activities shall remain prohibited between 10 pm to 5 am within municipal limits of all cities and towns of Punjab, according to an order issued by the home affairs and justice department on Tuesday. All educational institutions, including schools, colleges, universities, and coaching institutions, shall remain closed, it further said. Bars, cinema halls, multiplexes, malls, restaurants, spas, museums, and zoos shall be allowed to operate at 50 per cent of their capacity subject to all employees being fully vaccinated, it said. Only fully vaccinated staff will be allowed to attend government and private offices, working spaces, factories, and industries, it said. The restrictions in poll-bound Punjab will remain in force till January 15. Punjab has been witnessing a rise in the number of infections for the last few days. It has so far recorded 6,05,922 Covid cases and 16,651 deaths. Ladakh has reported 65 new Covid cases, taking the infection tally to 22,289, while the active cases have increased to 249, officials said on Tuesday. The Union Territory has recorded 220 Covid-related deaths -- 162 in Leh and 58 in Kargil -- since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, they said. Twelve patients were cured and discharged from hospitals in Ladakh. The total number of cured patients is 20,820, they said. Of the new cases, 58 were reported from Leh and seven from Kargil district, they said, adding that the active cases include 198 from Leh and 51 from Kargil districts. A total of 774 sample reports in Ladakh were found negative, they said. Delhi Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Manoj Tiwari tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. In a tweet, the BJP leader informed that he was feeling unwell on January 2, post which he got tested and cancelled his scheduled Uttarakhand-Rudrapur campaign for Monday. 'Taking precautions, I had isolated myself yesterday only,' Tiwari wrote. "Yesterday (Jan 2 ) I was feeling unwell since night. Due to mild fever and cold, I could not even go for the Uttarakhand-Rudrapur campaign yesterday. I have come positive in the test today. Taking precautions, I had isolated myself yesterday only. Please take care of yourself and your family," he tweeted in Hindi परसों (2 Jan) रात से ही अस्वस्थ महसूस कर रहा था।हल्का बुखार और ज़ुकाम होने के कारण कल उत्तराखंड - रूद्रपुर प्रचार में भी नहीं जा पाया था..टेस्ट में आज पॉज़िटिव आया हूँ.. सतर्कता बरतते हुए अपने आप को कल ही isolate कर लिया था. कृपया अपना और अपने परिवार का ध्यान रखें 🙏 — Manoj Tiwari 🇮🇳 (@ManojTiwariMP) January 4, 2022 The Cordelia cruise ship which turned into a COVID-19 hotspot after 66 passengers on board tested positive for the infection, has been sent back to Mumbai as some infected persons reportedly refused to get admitted to Goa hospitals. The ship, carrying over 2,000 passengers, was sent back to Mumbai on Monday night after 27 passengers, who had tested positive, refused to disembark, said Govind Pernulkar, manager at a local ship agent. The cruise liner, where the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had busted a high-profile rave party last October, was carrying hordes of New Year revelers when one of the crew members was found infected with Coronavirus. Mass testing of those on board the vessel revealed that 66 more passengers have contracted the disease. The ship had been docked near the Mormugao Port terminal in Goa since January 2, after the first case was reported among staff members. However, the cruise was sent back to Mumbai after some of the infected passengers refused to get admitted to a COVID-19 facility in Goa. Only six crew members out of the total 66 COVID-positive passengers were disembarked in Goa, Pernulkar said. Kota MP and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla kicked off the vaccination drive against COVID-19 for children in the 15-18 age group in the city from a government dispensary on Monday. The free vaccination drive will protect children and the coming generations from the disease, Birla said while speaking to media persons at the Vigyan Nagar government dispensary. The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly across the country and is likely to gain further pace, he said, adding that people have to be more cautious and follow protocols. Special vaccination camps for coaching students were held at three campuses of Allen Career Institute, where medical teams gave the first dose of the Covid vaccine to 1,228 students on the first day of the drive. Over 25,000 children were vaccinated with the first dose against a target of 55,000 for the day, an official said, adding that data from the centres is still being compiled. There is no proposal at present to put any restrictions on suburban train travel in Mumbai, a senior civic official has said amid the metropolis recording a surge in new coronavirus cases. Though the number of daily COVID-19 cases and positivity rate have been increasing in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working on preventive measures and is ready to handle any crisis, Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani told reporters on Monday. He said at present there is no proposal to put any curbs on suburban train travel. If needed, the Maharashtra government will take a decision on the issue in consultation with the state task force on COVID-19 as it pertains to the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Kakani said. Currently, 90 per cent of the coronavirus patients here are asymptomatic and only four to five per cent patients are being admitted to hospitals, the official said, adding that the number of serious cases is negligible. “Out of 30,500 hospital beds in Mumbai, only 3,500 beds are currently occupied. Also, adequate oxygen supply, medicines, ventilators, ICU facilities and hospital beds are available,” he said. On Monday, Mumbai recorded 8,082 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count since April 18, 2021, and two deaths. In the last one week, the metropolis has logged a 10-fold rise in fresh cases of the viral infection. A Cordelia cruise ship en route Goa from Mumbai turned into a COVID-19 super spreader after 66 passengers on board tested positive for the virus. The ship, carrying at least 2,000 New Year revelers, remains docked near the Mormugao Port terminal in Goa but no passengers have been permitted to get off the cruise. Both COVID positive and negative passengers remain stranded at the cruise, increasing the risk of infection. A passenger stuck on the Cordelia cruise with his family expressed concern about the increasing cases and the lack of cooperation from the Goan authorities in isolating the infected. Sharing his grievance with Republic on Tuesday, Jasveer Singh said, "My family and my brother's family have been stranded on the cruise ship since New Year's eve. After a staff member tested positive for Coronavirus, all of us took a test and 66 passengers were found positive. The infected persons were stranded on the cruise with the rest of us as both Mumbai and Goan authorities denied us permission to get off at their ports." Singh said that they were all sailing on the same cruise until Monday night when the infected passengers were allowed to get off the ship. However, he said that he was not aware of where they were headed. Read more The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of India’s drug regulatory authority is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, January 4, to examine the use of Bharat Biotech's intranasal COVID-19 vaccine. The committee will look at the nasal vaccine as a booster or a third dose as Bharat Biotech had earlier proposed to use this vaccine as a booster dose in people who have already been vaccinated with Covaxin or the Serum Institute of India (SII)-manufactured Covishield. Ahead of the meeting, medical expert Dr PS Venkatesh Rao has now said that he is looking forward to the approval of the same. Dr PS Venkatesh Rao, who is a senior surgeon in Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, told Republic TV that he was looking forward to the intranasal vaccine. Speaking about it, Dr Rao said that it had multiple advantages over the regular vaccine. Explaining the advantages of the intranasal vaccine, he said, “it produces a local immune response in addition to a systemic immune response.” Amid a steady rise in fresh COVID-19 cases, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday said that the government is continuously monitoring the situation in the state and there is no lockdown situation in the state as of now. In a positive note, the state has not reported any case of the new variant Omicron so far. On Monday, Chhattisgarh recorded 698 fresh coronavirus positive cases, taking the overall tally to 10,09,454, an official said. The Chief Minister has directed officials to increase testing: "I have directed officials to take appropriate steps and efforts are being made to increase testing at airports, railway stations. We are continuously monitoring the situation. As of now, there is no situation of lockdown," Bhupesh Baghel said while addressing the reporters on Monday. "Raipur recorded 222 cases, followed by 133 in Bilaspur, 103 in Raigarh, 43 in Durg and 39 in Korba. No fresh cases were reported in five districts, while 11 districts saw cases between 1 to 10. With 27,646 samples being examined during the day, the number of tests in Chhattisgarh went up to 1,50,03,941," the health ministry official said. As the Omicron COVID-19 variant continues to spread, experts are continuing to discover more and more about the new coronavirus strain. As per a report by The Sun, the experts in the United Kingdom believe that the majority of people who contract Omicron will have cold-like symptoms, and the illness will be mild in comparison to other variants like the Delta. Various studies suggest that Omicron is more contagious than other variants but less severe, with the first official UK report finding that the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70% lower than the Delta variant. Experts stated that a scratchy throat or rough voice is one of the most prevalent Omicron symptoms, and it can appear rather early. Dr Angelique Coetzee, a South African health expert said that common Omicron symptoms include muscle aches, weariness, a scratchy throat and night sweats, according to a report by The Daily Star. Omicron symptoms can easily be misdiagnosed as a cold or a minor ailment and experts advise people to get tested and isolate themselves if they suspect they have Omicron, in order to avoid spreading the virus to others. Read more In a tweet, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal informed that he has tested positive for COVID-19: #BREAKING | Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms. The CM in a tweet confirmed he is currently isolating at home. Catch #LIVE updates here - https://t.co/RZHKU3wOei pic.twitter.com/NQMGzKhF0t — Republic (@republic) January 4, 2022 I have tested positive for Covid. Mild symptoms. Have isolated myself at home. Those who came in touch wid me in last few days, kindly isolate urself and get urself tested — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 4, 2022 In the wake of a new wave of COVID-19 cases, the Jharkhand government said on January 3 that pandemic-related restrictions will be reinstated, with all educational institutions and tourist attractions closed until January 15 and employee attendance capped at 50% in offices. The declaration came shortly after a meeting of senior officials in Ranchi, convened by Chief Minister Hemant Soren. According to a government statement, "The chief minister has directed all districts to be on alert, given the sudden spurt rise in COVID-19 cases. Government and private offices will be allowed to operate with 50% workforce. Biometric attendance is being banned for the time being." मुख्यमंत्री श्री @HemantSorenJMM की अध्यक्षता में #Covid_19 के मद्देनजर प्रतिबंध/छूट के संदर्भ में आयोजित झारखंड राज्य आपदा प्रबंधन प्राधिकार की बैठक में लिए गए महत्वपूर्ण निर्णय 15 जनवरी 2022 तक लागू रहेंगे। https://t.co/vWJMj0btNi — Office of Chief Minister, Jharkhand (@JharkhandCMO) January 3, 2022 As over 12.3 lakh people aged between 15 and 18 years get vaccinated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called it an important step towards protecting the youth of India against COVID-19. Taking to his Twitter handle, the Prime Minister congratulated all his 'young friends' who got vaccinated, along with their parents. "I would urge more youngsters to get vaccinated in the coming days!" PM Modi wrote on Twitter. The vaccination for 15-18-year-olds started today. The states and the Union Territories had been advised by the Centre to ensure separate vaccination centres, session sites and queue (if at same session where adult vaccination is ongoing) and separate vaccination team (if at same session site) to avoid the mixing-up of COVID-19 vaccines during the administration of vaccines. Today we have taken an important step forward in protecting our youth against COVID-19. Congrats to all my young friends between the age group of 15-18 who got vaccinated. Congrats to their parents as well. I would urge more youngsters to get vaccinated in the coming days! — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 3, 2022 India has successfully vaccinated more than 40 lakh teenagers who are in the age group of 15-18 years, against COVID, on the first day of the vaccination for youngsters on January 3 till 8:30 pm. Stating the feat as another "feather in the cap" in India's ongoing nationwide vaccination drive, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted, "Well done Young India! Over 40 Lakhs between 15-18 age group received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of vaccination drive for children, till 8 pm. This is another feather in the cap of India's vaccination drive." Well done Young India! ✌🏼 Over 40 Lakhs between 15-18 age group received their first dose of #COVID19 vaccine on the 1st day of vaccination drive for children, till 8 PM. This is another feather in the cap of India’s vaccination drive 💉#SabkoVaccineMuftVaccine pic.twitter.com/eieDScNpR4 — Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) January 3, 2022 The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of India’s drug regulatory authority is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, January 4, to examine the use of Bharat Biotech's intranasal COVID vaccine as a booster or a third dose. It has been learnt that Bharat Biotech had proposed to use this vaccine as a booster dose in people who have already been vaccinated with Covaxin or the Serum Institute of India (SII)-manufactured Covishield. As per sources, the SEC of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is scheduled to meet at noon on January 4. The Hyderabad-based biotechnology company, in its application, has proposed to use its intranasal vaccine - BBV154 - as a heterologous booster dose in people who have already been inoculated with two doses of either Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin or SII’s Covishield. Read more Considering the COVID situation in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to extend lockdown until January 10 with additional restrictions. This comes after Chief Minister MK Stalin held a review meeting with state ministers and officers to evaluate the COVID situation and impose preventive measures to curb the spread. New COVID guidelines and restrictions Playschools and nursery schools will remain closed while students of classes 1 to 8 will not have physical classes till January 10. Classes 9 to 12, colleges, and Polytechnic Institutions are allowed to conduct classes in line with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). All exhibitions and book fairs are directed to postpone their schedule. Hotels, lodges, bakeries, guest houses, and dormitories can function at 50 per cent capacity. Marriage gatherings shall be permitted with guests not exceeding 100. Metro rail is allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity. Beauty parlour, salons, and spas are also allowed to function with 50 per cent capacity. Multiplex, cinemas, theatres permitted to function with maximum 50 per cent seating capacity. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued fresh guidelines for sealing amid a surge in COVID cases. According to the guidelines, the whole building or a wing shall be sealed if more than 20% of the occupied number of flats in the building or wing has COVID-19 patients. As per the BMC release, the patients and contacts shall strictly follow the current guidelines of home isolation and hygiene etiquette while in-home quarantine. From the onset of symptoms or in case of no fever for 3 days, patients will be isolated for at least 10 days. High-risk contacts shall be home quarantined for 7 days and will be tested against after the 5th or 7th day or immediately turn symptomatic and further protocols will be followed. The building managing committers are directed to take due care and ensure adequate supplies of food, medicines, and other essentials are provided to the families in quarantine. Medical officers of Health must be given support to implement the existing COVID protocols and containment guidelines. The respective ward will take the decision on the de-sealing of the building or the wing. Read more