Omicron Variant Highlights | Mumbai bans large gatherings for 48 hours

A total of 17 cases of Omicron have been reported in the state, of which 7 patients have been discharged from hospital following recovery: Maharashtra Govt

Only fully vaccinated persons will be allowed to enter Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu from December 13, the temple administration announces

Veterinarians at the Phoenix Zoo gave 75 animals their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, media reports said. The animals include big cats such as Sumatran tigers, jaguars and African lions; primates like Bornean orangutans and tiny emperor tamarins; and Egyptian fruit bats, armadillos and two-toed sloths, The Newsweek reported.

Taiwan has recorded its first case of the omicron variant in a passenger who recently traveled to the southern African country of Eswatini, health officials said Saturday.

The passenger, a Taiwanese woman in her 30s who returned on December 8, is now in quarantine in hospital, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center, which is in charge of the island's pandemic response. Passengers who sat near her on the plane have tested negative so far.

Taiwan reported 10 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, all of which were identified in travelers entering from abroad.

A deceased senior citizen allegedly received a message about having taken the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and got a certificate for the same in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district, an official said on Saturday. The authorities have cited computer error as a reason for the goof-up, in which Purushottam Shakyawar (78) of Biaora town, who died in May, received a message on his mobile phone number that he was administered the second dose of the vaccine on December 3.

According to the deceased man's son Phool Singh Shakyawar, they received the message on December 3 and were also able to download the vaccine certificate. Shakyawar said his father had taken the first dose of the vaccine on April 8, and had died on May 24 while undergoing treatment in Indore.
When asked about the goof-up, District Vaccination Officer Dr P L Bhagoria said he had received information about the matter and was inquiring into it.
A glitch in the computer might have generated such a message, he said.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan writes to Chief Secretaries/Administrators of all states/UTs that 27 districts in 10 states/UTs, which have been reporting high COVID positive rates in the past 2 weeks, need to be monitored very closely. The strategic containment interventions in identified areas, in case of COVID clusters, include night curfews, restricting gathering of people, congregation, & curtailing attendees in marriages and funerals: Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan

Two-shots of a Covid vaccine may not be enough against the Omicron variant, and a third dose or a booster shot is necessary to prevent the super mutant variant, according to a UK study. The study, released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), showed that a full two-dose vaccination course was less effective against symptomatic disease with Omicron than with the original strain of Covid-19 or the Delta variant. On the other hand, a moderate to high vaccine effectiveness of 75 per cent is seen in the early period after a booster dose.

• The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) under Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has said COVID-19 that booster doses cannot be recommended without clinical trials.
• The SEC was reviewing the application of the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the booster dose in a meeting that took place on Friday.
• The panel has sought additional data from the SII and would be doing another meeting.

Observing that data on the new SARS-CoV2 variant, Omicron, is still emerging, an expert has said the very high rate of 'seropositivity' should keep the country in good stead even as he emphasised on increased vaccination coverage and adhering to COVID-appropriate behaviour. "Because, India has the advantage of very high rate of 'seropositivity' of 70, 80 per cent, and in big cities more than 90 per cent people already have antibodies," said Rakesh Mishra, former Director of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). In view of the protection available to people, even if they get infected, it will be very mild and most of the time asymptomatic, Mishra, currently Director, Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), Bangalore, said.

Second case of Omicron variant reported in Delhi. The person was fully vaccinated and was coming from Zimbabwe. The person had also travelled to South Africa: Government of Delhi

The Union Health Ministry has expressed serious concern over the declining trends of mask usage in the country amid Omicron threat, citing a recently conducted survey which outlined that this has significantly dropped from September ownwards.

"Mask usage is declining in India. We have to remember that both vaccines and masks are important. As far as protection capability is concerned, we are now operating at a risky and unacceptable level. We should learn from the global situation," NITI Aayog's Member, Health, Dr V.K. Paul said, Member-Health, NITI Aayog.

At least 22 US states have identified cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, including some that indicate community transmission, according to the latest update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tamil Nadu: Madurai Dist Collector Aneesh Sekhar announces that those in the district, who haven't been vaccinated, will be barred from entering public places including fair price shops, business establishments, supermarkets, theaters,wedding halls,shopping malls,garment shops, banks & liquor stores. 

The police on Friday imposed section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) within Mumbai commissionerate limits prohibiting rallies and protest marches involving people and vehicles over the next two days, an official said. The order, issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), will be in force for 48 hours on Saturday and Sunday, he said.The order was issued to prevent danger to human life from the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 as well as a threat to the law and order situation against the backdrop of violence that took place in Amravati, Malegaon and Nanded.

After a gap of four days, seven new cases of the Covid-19 variant Omicron have been detected in Maharashtra - three in Mumbai and four in Pune, taking the state's total to 17, health officials said on Friday. The cases confirmed in Mumbai are three males aged 25, 37 and 48 years, all with a recent travel history to the UK, South Africa and Tanzania.

In Pune, the four new patients, including a three-and-half-year-old child, are the close contacts of the Indian-origin Nigerian woman who was detected Omicron positive last Sunday. Of the new cases, 4 are fully vaccinated while one has taken a single jab, one has not been inoculated, and the child is not eligible for the vaccine. Three of them are having mild symptoms and the others are found asymptomatic, but all have been isolated and undergoing treatment at various hospitals in Mumbai and Pune.