Omicron Variant LIVE Updates: Mumbai's Dharavi detects one case of new Covid strain

In the wake of a decline in COVID cases, the traditional route to Sabarimala from Pampa via Neelimala, Apache medu, and Marakoottam will be opened for devotees. Primary health care facilities have been set up at Neelimala and Apache medu. Overnight stay at Sannidhanam will be allowed for devotees; 500 rooms have been set up in compliance with Covid protocols: Kerala Chief Minister's Office

A third booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine provides 70-75 per cent protection against symptomatic infection from the Omicron variant, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Friday. 

In its latest technical briefing, the agency said that two doses of both the Oxford/AstraZeneca - administered in India as Covishield - and Pfizer/BioNtech vaccines provide "much lower levels" of protection against symptomatic infection compared to the currently dominant Delta variant of COVID-19.

India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has reached nearly 132 crore (131,90,73,072) today. Over 68 lakh (68,63,955) vaccine doses administered till 7 pm today: Ministry of Health

Maharashtra reports 7 new cases of Omicron- 3 from Mumbai and 4 from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation; total Omicron cases in the state at 17 now.

German lawmakers have overwhelmingly backed a bill that requires staff at hospitals and nursing homes to get vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Of the 689 votes cast in the lower house on the measure, 571 were in favour and 80 were against. Abstentions were recorded for 38 lawmakers. The bill, which is being fast-tracked, still needs to be approved by the upper house, which is likely to happen later Friday.

The bill would require staff at hospitals and nursing homes to get vaccinated against the coronavirus or risk losing their jobs. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told parliament it was unconscionable that some who work with particularly vulnerable people are still not vaccinated.

Carrying the COVID-19 vaccination card will be made mandatory at public places in Sri Lanka from Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s office has announced, ahead of the festive season.

“Legal advice has been sought with regard to preventing those who have not obtained the vaccine from entering public places”, it said. The Sri Lankan government has claimed their national vaccination programme to be a success, with 15.9 million of the island nation's 21 million population being administered the first dose, while 13.7 and 1.1 million have received the second and third jabs respectively, according to the Health Ministry. 

New coronavirus infections in South Korea exceeded 7,000 for the third consecutive day on Friday, as the worst surge since the start of the pandemic overwhelmed hospitals and depleted health care workforce.

Critics have blamed the spread on complacency by the government, which dramatically lowered social distancing rules at the start of November in what officials described as the first step toward restoring pre-pandemic normalcy.

Even as cases began to soar in recent weeks, officials were initially hesitant to tighten social distancing, citing exhaustion and frustration by the public with restrictions and their impact on livelihoods.

But as the contagious delta variant reduced the effectiveness of vaccines and most people in their 60s or older are still waiting for their booster shoots, and the first cases of omicron were discovered, the sense of urgency became apparent.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, the No. 2 behind President Moon Jae-in, said during a virus meeting that the country could be forced to take further “extraordinary” measures if it fails to slow the spread of the virus soon.
 

One Omicron case found in Dharavi, Mumbai

1. Overall positivity rate at 0.73 % in the country in last week. Less than 10,000 cases in last 14 days. Active cases highest in two states- Kerala and Maharashtra with over 43% active cases in the former & over 10% in the latter
2. Overall 25 Omicron cases in the country so far. All detected cases have mild symptoms. Less than 0.04% of total variants detected
3. 2 countries had reported Omicron cases till 24th Nov. Now 59 countries have reported cases of Omicron. These 59 countries have reported 2,936 Omicron cases. Besides this 78,054 probable cases detected- their genome sequencing is underway
4. WHO highlighted that public health measures should be abided by on a continual basis, besides vaccination. Adequate precautions have to be followed...Laxity in public health measures leading to a surge in cases in Europe

A declining trend in COVID-19 cases and deaths has been noted in the last few months, but as the virus is continuously evolving, the same may have an impact on transmission and surge in cases cannot be ruled out, Lok Sabha was informed on Friday. Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said the observation on the trend was based on data reported by states and union territories (UTs).

There are 18 cases of COVID-19 Delta sub-variant AY.4.2 that have been detected in India, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Such mutated variants of coronavirus are likely to evolve as like all viruses, SARS-CoV-2 also evolves over time, Pawar said in a written reply. Of the 18 cases of AY.4.2 detected so far in the country (as on December 3, 2021), 10 cases are from Gujarat, four from Tamil Nadu, two from Assam, and one each from Maharashtra and Telangana, she said in response to a question on whether the central government is aware that amid worries about a potential third wave of COVID-19, as many as 17 cases of the Delta variant AY.4.2 strain, which is spreading rapidly in the United Kingdom, has emerged in India.

The railways had last month restored some of its services that it had suspended in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. This included the removal of the "special" tag from trains which brought down the prices of tickets and restarted the service of serving hot cooked meals.

Three passengers, including a British national of Goan-origin, who arrived at the international airport near here on a flight from the United Kingdom on early Friday, tested positive for COVID-19

State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the three passengers have been shifted to an isolation facility in South Goa, while all other travellers on the flight who tested negative will be kept in strict home quarantine for eight days before undergoing another test at the end of it.

The health minister tweeted, “This is with reference to flight AI 146 that arrived from the UK today morning. 237 travellers tested on arrival. 3 patients (passengers) have been tested positive.”

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Friday held a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in Pune, as per ANI sources. This is the first meeting after cases of new COVID-19 variant Omicron were detected in the city.

"The meeting is currently underway at Pune Council Hall. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil are joined by other senior officials of the district," informed sources.

Two new cases of Omicron were found in Jamnagar on Friday. Gujarat now has 3 cases of new Covid variant.

A woman contact of an Omicron case in Rajasthan has been found COVID-19 positive in Delhi and is being shifted to the Lok Nayak Hospital.

The woman tested Covid positive on Thursday. She did not travel to any foreign country. 17 members in her family have been also put under home quarantine, an official said.

She is being taken to the LNJP Hospital and her sample has been sent for genome sequencing to the National Centre for Disease Control, the official said, adding her contacts are being traced. Delhi had reported its first case of Omicron on Sunday -- a 37-year-old fully vaccinated man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania.

US FDA authorizes Pfizer booster for 16- and 17-year-olds: Report

All the nine people in Rajasthan who were found infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus were discharged from a government hospital here on Thursday after they tested negative for the infection twice, Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said.

Their reports for blood, CT scan and all other tests are normal and they have been advised to remain in home quarantine for a week, he said.

Dr Sudhir Bhandari, principal of Sawai Mansingh Medical College, said research on the Omicron variant is currently underway. "The spread of this variant is rapid but it is not as fatal as the Delta variant," he said. Meanwhile, 38 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Rajasthan, officials said.