India's daily Covid graph showed a marginal increase as the country recorded 2.86 lakh cases today. This is the third consecutive day that the country has reported below three lakh cases.
The active cases now comprise 5.46 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 93.33 per cent. The daily positivity rate - the share of coronavirus tests that return positive and considered a key marker of the pandemic's status - is up from 16.10% to 19.59% while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 17.75 per cent.
India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 163.84 crore dose. At least 72 per cent of India's adult population is fully vaccinated whereas around 52 per cent of children in the 15-18 years old age group have been inoculated with the first dose of Covid vaccine.
Meanwhile, Covishield and Covaxin vaccines have been cleared by India's drugs regulator for sale in the market, sources have said. But this doesn't mean the vaccines will be available at shops soon. People would be able to buy them from hospitals and clinics, they added.
Here are the Highlights on coronavirus cases in India:
The Omicron variant of coronavirus has been found in 79 per cent of the samples from Delhi sequenced between January 1 and January 23, according to government data. The Delta variant, which drove the ferocious second wave of COVID-19 infections in April and May last year, was found in 13.70 per cent of the 2,503 samples sequenced during the period.
95 per cent of the eligible population has been given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, said the Union Health Ministry on Thursday.
Tamil Nadu Schools, Colleges To Open Feb 1, No Night Curfew From TomorrowSchools and colleges in Tamil Nadu, shut due to concerns over the coronavirus cases, will reopen on February 1, the state government announced today. The night curfew too has been lifted from tomorrow.
Mumbai on Thursday recorded 1,384 fresh cases of COVID-19, down from 1,858 a day ago, while 12 more people died due to complications related to the infection, the city civic body said.
With this, the overall number of COVID-19 cases in the Maharashtra capital rose to 10,41,747, while the death count increased to 16,581, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a bulletin.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai today said his government will review the COVID-19 situation soon, and take decisions regarding the curbs that are in place, after obtaining the experts' committee report in this connection. Last week, the state government had decided to lift the weekend curfew imposed in view of the spike in coronavirus infections, while deciding to continue the the night curfew between 10PM to 5AM everyday, and all other COVID curbs including 50 per cent capacity rules in cinema halls, pubs, clubs, restaurants, bars, hotels and eating places.
As many as 9,672 Omicron samples were found in January in genome sequencing, constituting 75 per cent of the total sequenced samples of COVID-19, a huge rise from the December figure of 1,292, the Centre said on Thursday. NCDC Director Dr S K Singh also said that the Delta variant has been found predominantly in Odisha, West Bengal and Maharashtra.
Kerala logged 51,739 fresh COVID-19 cases today taking the caseload to 58,26,596, while the death count rose to 52,343 with 68 COVID-19-related deaths being registered. Kerala recorded 49,771 cases on Wednesday and 55,475 cases on Tuesday. "Currently, there are 3,09,489 active COVID-19 cases in the state of which only 3.6 per cent are hospitalised," a release said. Meanwhile, 42,653 people recovered from the disease, taking the total recoveries to 54,63,960.
Dr Singh, Director, NCDC said Odisha, West Bengal and Maharashtra are still reporting Delta variant cases. "We are not seeing only Omicron cases. Clinical severity and hospitalisation can be caused by Delta as well. Unvaccinated and comorbid people in Delhi are dying. 64% deaths are unvaccinated and comorbid," he said.
There is an early indication of a plateau in coronavirus cases, said the Centre, adding that the top 10 states contributing to 77% of total active cases. More than 90% of cases are in home isolation in mild to moderate severity. Lower number of cases needing oxygen and ICU beds. Active case numbers and corresponding deaths are much lower in this wave, said the Centre.
Omicron is now the dominant variant, says the Centre. Omicron is depicted in red in the graph below showing during the health ministry press conference.
Eleven states have more than 50,000 active cases, says the health ministry in a press conference. Fourteen states have between 10,000-50,000 active cases. As many as 551 districts are reporting positivity over 5%, it said, adding that this is a rise from 527 districts last week.
Covishield, Covaxin To Be Available In Hospitals In New Approval: SourcesCovishield and Covaxin have been cleared by India's drugs regulator for sale in the market, sources have said. However, this doesn't mean the two COVID-19 vaccines will be available at shops soon though people would be able to buy them from hospitals and clinics, sources have said. Read here.
Russia has confirmed 88,816 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up from 74,692 the day before, which brings the cumulative total to 11,404,617, the federal response center said on Thursday.
Over the past 24 hours, 665 deaths of patients with COVID-19 have been confirmed, bringing the country's total coronavirus death toll to 328,770.
Germany reported another record number of daily new COVID-19 infections on Thursday, crossing the 200,000 threshold for the first time, as the country debates whether to impose compulsory vaccinations, reported Reuters.
The Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported 203,136 positive tests in the last 24 hours, 69,600 cases more than the same day a week ago.
Amid the spread of the Omicron variant, Pakistan's active COVID-19 case count crossed the 90,000 mark, local media reported citing National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) on Thursday.
Geo TV reported that the coronavirus positivity rate, meanwhile, is still over 10 per cent for the eighth day in a row despite a slight decline recorded in daily numbers during the last few days, data by the NCOC showed.
US biotech company Moderna announced on Wednesday that it has begun clinical trials of a booster dose of vaccine designed specifically to combat the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The trials will involve a total of 600 adults -- half of whom have already received two doses of Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine at least six months ago, and half of whom have received two doses plus the previously authorized booster dose.
Israel announced Wednesday that it would start making fourth Covid-19 vaccine shots available to all vulnerable people aged over 18, continuing its drive to beat successive virus waves with top-up jabs.
Israel was among the first countries to launch mass Covid immunisation campaigns for its population.
England on Thursday lifted coronavirus restrictions imposed to tackle the Omicron variant, with masks no longer required in enclosed places and vaccine passports shelved.
The number of positive Covid-19 cases has fallen sharply over the past two weeks, and although still at high levels, have plateaued in recent days.
The UK government introduced the so-called "Plan B" restrictions on December 8, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of a looming "tidal wave" of Omicron.
Face masks were required in all enclosed spaces and, controversially, vaccine documentation also was to enter places such as nightclubs, football grounds and large-scale events.
Italy will ease coronavirus restrictions for arrivals from the rest of the EU from February, with passengers required to show proof of vaccination, recent recovery or a negative test, but not quarantine.
In December, as cases of the Omicron variant surged, Rome demanded coronavirus tests from everyone and a five-day quarantine for those who are not vaccinated -- a tightening of the rules which irritated Brussels.
Delhi Daily Covid Cases Rise By 24% To 7,498, Positivity Rate Stays At 10.5%Delhi today logged 7,498 fresh Covid cases, a jump of over 24 per cent over yesterday's cases (6,028), and 29 Covid deaths. The positivity rate was at 10.59 per cent.
