Coronavirus Live Updates: There were 1,072 Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours.
India reported 1.49 lakh new Covid cases today, 13% lower than yesterday. The positivity rate fell to 9.2%. The active cases constitute 3.42 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate decreased to 95.39 per cent, the health ministry said.
Since December, the number of Covid cases has been rising rapidly due to the new variant Omicron. India's active caseload currently stands at 14,35,569.
There were 1,072 Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours.
2,46,674 recoveries were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking total recoveries in India to 4,00,17,088.
Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 167.87 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far, the health ministry said yesterday.
Here are the Highlights Updates on coronavirus cases in India:
2,498 New Covid Cases In Haryana
Nineteen more COVID-19-related deaths were reported in Haryana on Friday as 2,498 fresh cases surfaced, pushing the state's infection count to 9,61,339, according to a health department bulletin.
So far, 10,372 people have died from the infection in the state.
Among the districts, Gurugram reported 896 fresh cases, while 254 infections were from Faridabad.
The fatalities included three each from Gurugram and Kaithal districts, as per the bulletin.
Maharashtra Reports 13,840 New COVID-19 Cases
Maharashtra reported 13,840 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, said the state Health Department on Friday.
However, no case of the Omicron variant of the virus was reported during the last 24 hours. The cases of Omicron variant in the state currently stand at 3,334.
With this, the total cases of COVID-19 in the state have gone up to 77,82,640.
During the last 24 hours, 27,891 people recovered from the infection, taking the total recoveries in the state to 74,91,759.
81 people lost their lives to the deadly virus during the last 24 hours. The deaths in the state due to the virus currently stands at 1,42,940.
There are currently 1,44,011 active COVID-19 cases in the state.
Maharashtra's Nashik Records 825 COVID-19 cases
At least 825 persons tested positive for COVID-19, while five died of the infection in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Friday, an official said.
With this, the tally of infections in the district has risen to 4,71,057 and the deaths reached 8,836, he said.
As many as 2,672 persons were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the count of recoveries to 4,55,382, leaving the district with 6,839 active cases, the official said.
Of the total number of cases reported so far, 2,70,786 were from Nashik city, 1,74,399 from other parts of the district, 13,829 from Malegaon and 8,127 from outside the district, it was stated.
Delhi Records 2, 272 New Covid Cases, Positivity Rate At 3.85% Delhi on Friday reported 2,272 fresh COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths, while the positivity rate dropped to 3.85 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.
With this, the national capital's case count increased to 18,40,919 and the deaths climbed to 25,952, the latest health bulletin stated.
The number of COVID-19 tests conducted a day ago stood at 59,036, it said.
Delhi had on Thursday reported 2,668 cases with a positivity rate of 4.3 per cent, and 13 deaths.
The number of daily cases in Delhi has been on the decline after touching the record high of 28,867 on January 13.
The city had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 14, the highest during the ongoing wave of the pandemic.
Coronavirus: Mumbai Reports 846 Covid Cases Mumbai on Friday recorded 846 covid cases with 07 deaths.
Meghalaya Records 211 COVID-19 Cases
Meghalaya's COVID-19 tally rose to 92,021 on Friday as 211 more people tested positive for the infection, while two fresh fatalities pushed the northeastern state's coronavirus deaths to 1,538, a health official said.
East Khasi Hills district, under which Shillong falls, recorded the highest number of new cases at 88, followed by 54 in West Garo Hills and 17 in Ri-Bhoi, Health Services Director Dr Aman War said.
The state now has 1,839 active cases, while 88,644 people have recovered from the disease so far, including 375 in the last 24 hours.
The administration has tested over 13.39 lakh samples for COVID-19, and inoculated over 22.99 lakh people so far, of whom 9.35 lakh have received two doses of the vaccine, he added.
Madhya Pradesh's Indore College Faculty Create Mask Detecting Mechanism
A couple of professors of an engineering college in Indore in Madhya Pradesh have claimed to have made a device that can detect people moving about without wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 'mask detector' was developed by Associate Professor Puja Gupta and Assistant Professor Upendra Singh of the Information Technology department of Shri GS Institute of Technology and Sciences (SGSITS), a government aided autonomous institute.
"The mask detector works with the help of a CCTV camera. We have developed a software after detailed research to immediately identify those who are not wearing masks the moment they pass through the camera. A 'please wear mask' message will be blared and their images are captured in the camera associated with the system," Ms Gupta told PTI on Friday.
Ms Gupta said the cost of developing the device has been Rs 20,000, which would come down to around Rs 4,000 if produced on a large-scale, adding that the authorities here and in other places can use it to impose fines on those violating mask norms in public places.
Ms Gupta said the instrument has given 98.26 per cent accurate results while examining 75,000 photos.
Tripura logs 62 new COVID-19 cases, one more death
Tripura recorded 62 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, six less than the previous day, pushing the tally to 1,00,584, an official said. One more patient died due to COVID-19 on Friday, taking the state's deaths to 912, he said.
The state now has 1,726 active COVID-19 cases while 97,878 people have recovered from the disease, the official said.
Tripura on Thursday had reported 68 new COVID-19 cases and one death.
Around 80 per cent of the eligible people have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine, said Director of Family Welfare and Preventive Medicine, Dr Radha Debbarma on Friday.
Asked about the presence of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the state, he said "We have sent 130 samples to National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBG), Kalyani for genome sequencing test but have not received the report yet. The reports are expected to be delivered by Monday."
Over 10.71 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses available with States
More than 10.71 crore balance and unutilized COVID vaccine doses are still available with the States, Union Territories to be administered, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Friday.
The ministry has informed that more than 165.20 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States, Union Territories till date.
"More than 165.20 crore (1,65,20,44,645) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt. of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category. More than 10.71 Cr (10,71,21,576) balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered," the ministry informed in its official press release.
The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID-19 vaccination started on January 16, 2021.
Masks Not Needed For Those Driving Alone In Cars In Delhi: SourcesThose driving alone in their cars in Delhi will no longer need to wear a mask, the national capital's disaster management authority decided today during a meeting to review Covid curbs, according to sources.
The move comes days after the Delhi High Court termed the directive "absurd" and asked why it was still in force.
The court's observation had come when a counsel representing the Delhi government shared an incident of a man being fined for not wearing a mask while sitting in his car along with his mother and sipping coffee with windows up.
Andaman & Nicobar Reports More COVID-19 Recoveries Than Fresh CasesThe Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported more COVID-19 recoveries than fresh cases, as 65 people recuperated from the disease while 23 new infections, pushed the tally to 9,867, a health department official said on Friday.
A total of 9,490 people have recovered from COVID-19 so far, the official said.
The COVID-19 death count in the archipelago remained at 129 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours.
23 COVID-19 Deaths, 2,600 Cases In OdishaOdisha recorded 23 more COVID-19 deaths on Friday, while the infections were the lowest in a month as 2,697 people tested positive, the Health Department said.
The daily positivity rate dropped to 4.4 per cent as 60,762 samples were tested in the past 24 hours, a bulletin stated.
The deaths are the highest since September 1 and the infections plunged by 46 per cent from 5,057 a week ago. The state had logged 3,629 COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths on Thursday.
Japan's Serious Covid Cases Climb To 4-Month High; Record InfectionsJapan serious COVID-19 cases crossed 1,000 for the first time in four months, data showed on Friday, as the Omicron variant fuelled record infections and burdened the medical system, reported Reuters.
Seriously ill patients climbed by 131 to 1,042 cases from the day before, the health ministry said, the highest since September when the Delta variant drove a fifth wave of cases.
Japan recorded 96,748 new cases on Thursday. Most regions are now under infection control measures to try to blunt the spread of Omicron that has exploded among a population where less than 5% have received vaccine booster shots.
Over 10.71 Crore Covid Vaccine Doses Available With States, UTsMore than 10.71 crore balance and unutilized Covid vaccine doses are still available with the States, Union Territories to be administered, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Friday.
The ministry has informed that more than 165.20 crore vaccine doses have been provided to States, Union Territories till date.
"More than 165.20 crore (1,65,20,44,645) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through Govt. of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category. More than 10.71 Cr (10,71,21,576) balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered," the ministry informed in its official press release.
India Reports Over 5 Lakh Covid Deaths, Experts Count Millions MoreThe death count from COVID-19 crossed 500,000 on Friday, a level many health experts say was breached last year but obscured by inaccurate surveys and unaccounted dead in the hinterlands, where millions remain vulnerable to the disease.
India, which has the fourth-highest tally of deaths globally, recorded 400,000 deaths by July last year after the devastating outbreak from the Delta variant of the coronavirus, according to official data. Some experts believe the figures were much higher.
Slightly Younger Population Infected More In Covid 3rd Wave: Top Medical BodyA comparatively younger population with an average age of 44 years has been infected more in this Covid wave, the government said on Thursday, highlighting there was significantly less use of drugs for treatment this time.
Addressing the weekly press conference, ICMR DG Balram Bhargava said in this Covid wave, sore throat was seen more in the patients.
A slightly younger population having an average age of 44 years was infected more in this wave in comparison to the previous ones, he said.
In the earlier waves, the average age of the section of the population infected was 55 years, Mr Bhargava added.
No Plans To Send Military: Canada's Trudeau Amid Anti-Covid Rules' ProtestsCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday poured cold water on sending in the military to clear protestors opposed to Covid vaccine mandates, whose convoy of big trucks are clogging Ottawa's downtown.
The city's police chief, under pressure from local residents weary of harassment and incessant loud honking, had pitched the idea during a briefing the previous day.
"That is not in the cards right now," Trudeau told a news conference, adding that governments must be "very, very cautious before deploying the military in situations against Canadians."