Omicron cases reported in Telangana, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. The total cases of Omicron variant in India has reached 73.
Preliminary evidence indicates that COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.
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You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest developments:
France to restrict travel from U.K. over Omicron surge
France is to tighten restrictions on travel from Britain to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 that is causing record numbers of cases on the other side of the Channel, the government said Thursday.
"We will put in place a system of controls drastically tighter than the one we have already," government spokesman Gabriel Attal told BFM television, saying the office of Prime Minister Jean Castex would issue a statement on the new measures in the coming hours. -AFP
Four more cases of Omicron detected in Delhi: Jain
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday that 10 cases of Omicron have been detected in the capital so far and 40 people are admitted to the special facility at Lok Nayak Hospital meant for isolating and treating suspected cases of the new Covid variant.
Of the 40 people, 38 are COVID-19 positive.
"A total of 10 cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in Delhi so far. One of them has been discharged," Mr. Jain told reporters. -PTI
Malaysia imposes stricter rules, booster requirements over Omicron threat
Malaysia on Thursday announced new COVID-19 restrictions, including banning mass gatherings and requiring booster doses for high-risk groups, as it reported its second case of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said authorities were also verifying 18 more suspected cases of the variant, believed by experts to be the most transmissible yet, with results expected by Friday. -Reuters
Active COVID-19 cases in country decline to 87,245
India added 7,974 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,47,18,602, while the active cases declined to 87,245, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
The death toll climbed to 4,76,478 with 343 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 49 days now.
The active cases comprise 0.25% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.38%, the highest since March 2020,the ministry said. -PTI
Indonesia reports first case of Omicron variant
Indonesia has identified its first case of the Omicron coronavirus variant, the country’s health minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Thursday.
The variant was detected on Wednesday evening in an employee at the Wisma Atlet hospital in Jakarta, who had no history of overseas travel. -Reuters
Japan adds Moderna shot to COVID-19 vaccine booster arsenal, joining Pfizer
Japan on Thursday officially approved Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine for its booster shot programme that began this month.
The move followed a recommendation from health ministry experts on Wednesday that Moderna's mRNA shot, used mostly at workplace inoculation sites to date, could be used as a third booster shot for those aged 18 or older. -Reuters
Israel to donate 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to African nations
The Israeli government on Wednesday said it was donating 1 million coronavirus vaccines to the U.N.-backed COVAX program.
The Foreign Ministry said the AstraZeneca vaccines would be transferred in the coming weeks, a decision that was part of Israel's strengthening ties with the African countries.
Israel to donate 1 million COVID-19 vaccines to African nations
South Korea to reimpose business curfews to battle Covid surge
South Korea said Thursday it will reimpose coronavirus curfews on businesses and limit the size of gatherings again as record infections forced the government to pause its plan to live with Covid.
Following a rapid vaccination programme, authorities eased restrictions last month to help boost the Covid-hit economy, removing limits on how long businesses could stay open. -AFP
New Zealand approves Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 years
New Zealand's health regulator Medsafe has granted provisional approval for the Pfizer Inc COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 years old, the health ministry said in a statement.
The provisional approval is for two doses of the paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, given at least 21 days apart, it said. -Reuters
Greece demands COVID-19 tests from all visitors
Travellers to Greece will need a negative COVID-19 PCR test to enter the country as part of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the health ministry said on Wednesday.
The measure will be in effect from Dec. 19 and the tests will need to be no more than 48 hours old. -Reuters
Two Moderna doses provide substantially low neutralizing effect against Omicron -U.S. NIAID
The neutralizing activity of two doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is "substantially low" against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Anthony Fauci said on Wednesday, citing NIAID data.
However, a third, booster dose of the Moderna vaccine puts the neutralizing activity "well within the range of neutralizing Omicron," Fauci told reporters at a White House briefing. -Reuters
Omicron to be dominant variant in EU by mid-January
Omicron is expected to be the dominant coronavirus variant in the European Union's 27 nations by mid-January, the bloc's top official said Wednesday amid concerns that a dramatic rise in infections will leave Europe shrouded in gloom during the holiday season.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is well prepared to fight omicron with 66.6% of its population fully vaccinated. She expressed disappointment that the pandemic will again disrupt year-end celebrations but said she was confident the EU has the “strength” and “means” to overcome COVID-19. -AP
Karnataka’s second Omicron patient and his family discharged from hospital
The 46-year-old government doctor, who had tested positive for Omicron without any travel history and had been admitted to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital on December 2, has been discharged from the hospital along with his family on Wednesday. They have been advised home quarantine for a week.
The doctor, Karnataka’s second Omicron case, along with his wife and two daughters were under treatment for 14 days at the hospital. Doctors said he tested negative twice in a gap of 24 hours. He had developed secondary infections due to low immunity and had continued to test positive till recently. After testing positive on November 22, the doctor was treated at a private hospital from November 25 to 29. Subsequently, his genomic sequencing reports showed he was infected with Omicron and he was admitted to Bowring hospital along with six primary contacts - three family members and three colleagues - on December 2.
Karnataka’s second Omicron patient and his family discharged from hospital
U.K. sees highest COVID daily cases amid Omicron spread
The U.K. on Wednesday recorded the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, with 78,610 new cases largely due to the Omicron variant alongside the dominant Delta variant.
The previous record was 68,053 on January 8 – when the U.K. was still in full lockdown. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed a Downing Street press conference to warn that the Omicron cases were now doubling at a rate of less than two days but stressed positive signs that the boosted booster dose campaign, a tool not available during the previous COVID spike, will help combat the impact of the infections. -PTI
Germany spends additional 2.2 billion euros to buy more COVID-19 vaccines
The German parliament's budget committee has made an additional 2.2 billion euros ($2.48 billion) of funds available for COVID-19 vaccine procurement, Germany's health and finance ministers said on Wednesday.
The vaccines are urgently needed amid the fourth wave of infections currently sweeping the country, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told Reuters in Berlin. -Reuters
Prohibitory orders in Mumbai from December 16 to December 31
Amid the Omicron scare, the Mumbai police has said prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 will be imposed in the city from December 16 to December 31, a period covering Christmas and New Year eve, banning large gatherings as part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
They also said only people up to 50% of the capacity at a venue will be allowed to attend any event and organizers of programmes should be fully vaccinated against coronavirus. -PTI
DDMA extends COVID-19-related curbs till December 31 midnight
In a decision that would limit Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Wednesday extended till December 31 midnight its COVID-19-related curbs such as the ban on social and cultural gatherings and the cap on bars and restaurants to operate with 50% of seating capacity.
In an order, the DDMA said the currently permitted and restricted activities in Delhi will continue up to the intervening night (12.00 hrs) of December 31 and January 1. -PTI
