Healthcare and frontline workers and citizens above 60 years of age with comorbidities would be administered the third dose of the same vaccine they had been given before.
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Maharashtra recorded its highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases in nearly two months, with 1,648 cases taking its tally of active cases to 9,813 on Sunday.
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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 updates:
Night curfew imposed in U'khand
Night curfew was imposed across Uttarakhand on Monday. The night curfew which comes into effect on Monday night will remain in force from 11 pm to 5 am till further orders, said an order issued by Chief Secretary SS Sandhu.
However, essential services like health, movement of vehicles carrying health personnel, ambulances, postal services have been exempted from the ambit of the curfew. Production, transportation and distribution of petrol, diesel, kerosene and LPG will also be exempt from the curb.
Private vehicles too will have the permission to commute for emergencies during the curfew with strict adherence to Covid SOPs and safety protocols.
- PTI
No need for Statewide night curfew now: Odisha health official
The Odisha government on Monday said there is no need to impose restrictions such as night curfew and lockdown across the state as of now amid concerns over the detection of eight cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in the coastal state.
Night curfew is in force in all urban areas of the state from 10 pm to 5 am.
State’s Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra told journalists here, “Currently, the situation is not conducive for imposing the curbs. Lockdown or night curfew is clamped after considering factors such as the number of daily cases, test positivity rate, total active cases, and hospitalisation rate.” Odisha has already banned public celebrations to ring in the New Year.
- PTI
MHA extends COVID-19 directive till January 31, 2022
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extends COVID-19 directive issued under the Disaster Management Act up to January 31, 2022. "For the enforcement of social distancing, any State/UT Governments may, as far as possible, use the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973," says the MHA order.
The order also says that this decision has been taken in view of the initial signs of surge in cases of COVID-19 as well as increased detection of the Variant of Concern (VoC), 'Omicron', in different parts of the country.
The Disaster Management Act was invoked first in March 2020 in the wake of COVID-19 infection. - Vijaita Singh
Centre extends COVID-19 directive up to Jan 31, 2022
South Korea authorises emergency use of Pfizer's oral coronavirus treatment
South Korea authorised for emergency use Pfizer's antiviral pills targeting COVID-19 as the first of its kind to be introduced in South Korea, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on Monday.
South Korea restored tough distancing curbs last week after easing them in November, after a series of record daily new infections and serious cases stretched medical services, despite a vaccination rate of over 92% for those aged 18 or older.
Pfizer's oral antiviral treatment, called Paxlovid, is "expected to help prevent serious deterioration of patients admitted to residential treatment centers or being treated at home," by diversifying coronavirus treatments beyond injections currently used in the field, drug safety minister Kim Gang-lip told a press briefing. -Reuters
Australia records first Omicron death, authorities stick to reopening plan
Australia reported its first confirmed death from the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 on Monday amid another surge in daily infections, but the authorities refrained from imposing new restrictions saying hospitalisation rates remained low.
The death, a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions, marked a grim milestone for the country which has had to reverse some parts of a staged reopening after nearly two years of stop-start lockdowns, due to the fresh outbreak.
Omicron, which health experts say appears more contagious but less virulent than previous strains, began to spread in the country just as it lifted restrictions on most domestic borders and allowed Australians to return from overseas without quarantine, driving case numbers to the highest of the pandemic.
The authorities gave no additional details about the Omicron death, except to say that the man caught the virus at an aged care facility and died in a Sydney hospital. -Reuters
Night curfew in Delhi from Monday over rising Covid cases
Night curfew will be imposed in Delhi from 11 pm on Monday, restricting movement of individuals except those in exempted categories, due to rising COVID-19 cases and the threat posed by Omicron, according to a DDMA order.
The night curfew will be in place from 11 pm to 5 am till further orders, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said.
Those exempted from the curfew include government officials, judges and judicial officers, medical personnel, pregnant women and patients, people going on feet to buy essential items, media persons, and people going to or returning from railway stations, bus stops and airports.
Only exempted-category people will be allowed in Metro trains and public transport buses during the night curfew hours, the DDMA order stated. -PTI
India logs highest single day rise of Omicron cases, tally climbs to 578
India saw the highest single day rise of Omicron infections with 156 fresh cases, taking the total tally of such cases to 578, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.
The ministry said 151 out of the 578 people who contracted the infection have recovered or migrated.
The 578 cases have been detected across 19 states and UTs with Delhi recording the maximum number of 142 cases followed by Maharashtra at 141, Kerala 57, Gujarat 49, Rajasthan 43 and Telangana 41.
With 6,531 people testing positive for coronavirus infections in a day India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,47,93,333, while the active cases declined to 75,841, according to the data updated at 8 am. The death toll has climbed to 4,79,997 with 315 fresh fatalities, the data stated.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 60 days now.
The active cases have declined to 75,841 comprising 0.22% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.40%, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said. -PTI
Covid vaccination mandatory in Singapore from February 2022
Singapore has made Covid vaccination a mandatory condition for the approval of new applications for work passes, long-term passes and permanent residence in Singapore from February 1 next year.
Those renewing their work passes will also have to be vaccinated, The Straits Times reported, citing the multi-ministry task force (MMTF) on Covid.
The new order will not apply to children aged below 12 and those who are medically ineligible for vaccination, it said. -PTI
Singapore lifts travel ban imposed on 10 African countries
Singapore has lifted the ban it imposed on 10 African countries over the Omicron variant of coronavirus, while authorities expect a rapid doubling of cases in the coming days.
Passengers arriving in Singapore with travel history to Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe within the past 14 days will come under the country's Category IV border measures from 11.59 pm on Sunday. -PTI
Hong Kong suspends Korean Air flights until January 8 due to virus infections
The Hong Kong government ordered a two-week suspension of Korean Air Lines flights, Korean Air said on Monday, after some of its passengers traveling from South Korea to Hong Kong tested positive for coronavirus upon landing last week according to Hong Kong's official news platform.
The suspension will last until January 8.
Korean Air, which runs flights between South Korea and Hong Kong three times a week, said it respects the entry regulations of the Hong Kong government, and all passengers had tested negative when it had checked. -Reuters
Iran bars travellers from parts of Western Europe over Omicron fears
Iran has banned the entry of travellers from Britain, France, Denmark and Norway for 15 days as part of curbs following the discovery of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the Middle East's worst-hit country.
State television said on Sunday a similar ban imposed in late November on travellers from South Africa and seven neighbouring countries was also extended for 15 days.
Health authorities also indefinitely halted land travel to neighbouring Turkey, a popular tourist destination, the broadcaster said. -Reuters
France sees over 100,000 daily virus infections for 1st time
France has recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic and COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the past month, as the fast-spreading omicron variant complicates the French government’s efforts to stave off a new lockdown.
More than 1 in 100 people in the Paris region have tested positive in the past week, according to the regional health service. Most new infections are linked to the omicron variant, which government experts predict will be dominant in France in the coming days. Omicron is already dominant in Britain, right across the Channel. -AP
