Covid LIVE: 8 new Omicron cases in Maharashtra today; 7 from Mumbai

Till date, a total of 28 patients infected with Omicron have been reported in the state

12:29 AM

Covid-19 cases among children on the rise, says US report

Covid-19 cases among children in the US are on the rise, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has reported.

 

Over 1,64,000 child cases were added the past week, an increase of nearly 24 per cent over the prior week, the AAP wrote in a report published on Monday, adding that child Covid-19 cases are above 1,00,000 for the 18th week in a row, Xinhua news agency reported.

 

As of December 9, nearly 7.2 million children in the US have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic.

11:30 PM

Our vaccines may become ineffective in emerging situations, says VK Paul

Amid concerns over Omicron, India's COVID Task Force chief VK Paul on Tuesday said there is a potential scenario that "our vaccines may become ineffective in emerging situations" and emphasised the need to be ready to modify the vaccines as per requirement.

 

He also hoped that COVID in India is possibly moving in the direction of endemicity, where there is a low or moderate level of transmission going on.

 

"We have experienced Delta shock and now the Omicron shock... there is a potential scenario that our vaccines may become ineffective in emerging situations in the wake of the last three weeks of living with Omicron, we have seen how such doubts have come up, some of them may be genuine, we still don't have the final picture," he said.

10:48 PM

Gujarat govt pays compensation in 22,000 COVID-19 death cases after SC ruling

The Gujarat government on Tuesday said it has paid an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the kin in around 22,000 cases where the death of patients was linked to COVID-19 even as its official toll currently stood at 10,100, citing the changes made by the Supreme Court in defining coronavirus-related fatalities. Revenue Minister Rajendra Trivedi said the number of people provided with the compensation at around 22,000 is much higher than the official death figure of 10,100 (as on Dec 14) because of a revision in the definition of deaths due to COVID-19 made by the Supreme Court while hearing a plea related to payment of financial assistance in such cases.

10:08 PM

South Africa blames technical glitch for bungle of Covid cases number

South Africa's sudden spike in Covid infections reported on Sunday was due to a technical glitch and the actual number of cases was less than half the reported figure of over 37,000, the country's top body for communicable diseases has confirmed.

 

The massive jump to 37,875 new Covid cases on Sunday from the previous day's figure of 17,154, followed by 13,992 cases on Monday caused concern among both the public and scientists.

 

In a press statement on Monday, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) said the reported overnight Covid-19 infections of over 37,000 was actually less than half that figure.

 

On Sunday, the NICD reported 18,035 Covid cases, however, over 19,000 earlier cases got added to the figure due to a technical glitch, it said.

9:39 PM

Covid toll nears 800,000 to close out year filled with death

Carolyn Burnett is bracing for her first Christmas without her son Chris, a beloved high school football coach whose outdoor memorial service drew a crowd of hundreds.

 

The unvaccinated 34-year-old father of four died in September as a result of COVID-19 after nearly two weeks on a ventilator, and his loss has left a gaping hole for his mother, widow and family as the holidays approach.

 

How, she thought, could they take a holiday photo without Chris? What would Christmas Day football be like without him offering up commentary? How could they play trivia games on Christmas Eve without him beating everyone with his movie expertise?

 

The US is on the verge of yet another depressing pandemic milestone --800,000 deaths. It's a sad coda to a year that held so much promise with the arrival of vaccines but is ending in heartbreak for the many grieving families trying to navigate the holiday season.

9:24 PM

Maharashtra reports 684 new Covid cases

Maharashtra on Tuesday reported 684 new coronavirus cases, eight of them infected with the Omicron variant, and 24 fresh fatalities, the health department said.

 

With these fresh additions, the statewide coronavirus caseload rose to 66,45,136 and the death toll increased to 1,41,288, a health bulletin said.

 

On Monday, the state reported 569 new COVID-19 cases and five fatalities. Eight new patients were found to be infected with Omicron, according to a report released on Tuesday by the Pune-based National Institute of Virology, the health department said. Seven of them were from Mumbai and one from its satellite township of Vasai-Virar, the department said, adding none of the eight had an international travel history. A total of 686 patients were discharged during the day, which raised the state's overall recovery count to 64,93,688, the bulletin said. There are now 6,481 active coronavirus cases in Maharashtra.

9:11 PM

UK scientists trial first needle-free air-powered COVID-19 vaccine

Scientists at the University of Cambridge on Tuesday began a clinical trial of a needle-free air-powered vaccine, which is expected to help combat future variants of COVID-19.

 

Developed by Professor Jonathan Heeney at the University of Cambridge and spin-out company DIOSynVax, the new DIOSvax technology is dubbed a next generation coronavirus vaccine administered through a blast of air that delivers the dose into the skin.

 

It offers a possible future alternative to people who fear needle-based jabs and, if successful, it could be scaled up and manufactured as a powder to boost global vaccination efforts, particularly in low and middle-income countries.

 

"The response of the scientific and medical communities to the development and delivery of COVID-19 vaccines has been incredible, but as new variants emerge and immunity begins to wane we need newer technologies, said Heeney.

8:51 PM

WTO panel asks India to withdraw subsidies in sugar dispute

A World Trade Organisation panel ruled in favour of Brazil, Australia and Guatemala on Tuesday in their trade disputes with India over sugar subsidies and asked New Delhi to conform with global rules.

 

In the cases brought before the WTO in 2019, the rival producers alleged that India had broken WTO rules by providing excessive domestic support and export subsidies for sugar and sugarcane.

 

India is the world's top sugar producer after Brazil.

7:32 PM

8 new Omicron cases in Maharashtra today; 7 from Mumbai

6:05 PM

'Group Captain Varun Singh’s medical condition continues to be critical'

5:57 PM

KCR meets Stalin

5:39 PM

Pre-booked RT-PCR test must for passengers from 'at risk' countries

5:11 PM

NIA makes an arrest in connection with the seizure of 3,000 kg of heroin from Gujarat's Mundra Port

4:39 PM

Number of tourists to Varanasi in 2019-20 doubled compared to 2014-15: PM

4:15 PM

Musk says Tesla will accept dogecoin for merchandise

3:13 PM

FM will start her pre-Budget consultations with different stakeholder groups from tomorrow

2:34 PM

All schools for Classes 1-7 to re-open from Dec 15 in Mumbai

2:32 PM

Opposition parties stage walkout from Rajya Sabha

1:48 PM

Rahul Gandhi leading opposition protest over MP suspension

1:36 PM

Suspension of 12 MPs is a symbol of the crushing of the voice of people of India: Rahul Gandhi

Suspension of 12 MPs is a symbol of the crushing of the voice of people of India: Rahul Gandhi

12:50 PM

Monsoon session: Rahul Gandhi joins Opposition's protest against suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs

12:26 PM

Four new Omicron cases detected, taking the total number of cases to 6: Delhi health minister

Four new Omicron cases detected, taking the total number of cases to 6. Of the 6 cases, 1 patient has been discharged from the hospital. Currently, 35 Covid positive patients & 3 suspected cases admitted to LNJP hospital: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Omicron cases

12:13 PM

Tharoor-led par panel questions MeitY officials on hacking of PM Modi's Twitter handle: Reports

Top officials of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) have been questioned about the hacking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter handle and the Pegasus issue by a parliamentary panel led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, news agency PTI reported.

12:10 PM

Monsoon session LIVE updates: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm following sloganeering by Opposition demanding to revoke the suspension of 12 Opposition MPs

 

"Let's maintain decency & decorum in the House. Unruly and unparliamentary behavior is not going to work at all," Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu says.

12:03 PM

Karnataka: 4 arrested for giving false Covid report to a S African national who confirmed positive for Omicron

4 people arrested for providing a false RT-PCR report to a South African national who was later confirmed to be India’s first Omicron case. The patient, who was in quarantine, managed to leave the country via Dubai after producing a fake report: DCP Central Bengaluru

11:58 AM

Ghana airport to fine airlines that bring unvaccinated passengers

The operator of Ghana's main international airport will fine airlines $3,500 for every passenger they fly in who is not vaccinated against Covid-19 or who tests positive for the coronavirus upon arrival, it said on Monday.

 

11:41 AM

Coronavirus update: Kerala reports 2434 new Covid-19 cases

Kerala reports 2,434 new Covid-19 cases, 4308 recoveries and 38 deaths in the last 24 hours.

11:07 AM

Supreme Court allows double lane for Chardham road project

Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a double lane for Chardham road project in Uttarakhand in view of national security concerns and set up an oversight committee headed by Justice AK Sikri, says PTI.

10:28 AM

India logs 5,784 new cases of Covid-19

India recorded 5,784 new cases of Covid-19 and 252 deaths due to the disease overnight, said the health ministry on Tuesday, marking the slowest rise in daily cases in 571 days. The country’s total cases increased to 34.70 million and fatalities to 475,888.

10:09 AM

'Everyone ran out into the street' after Indonesia quake

 A powerful earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on Friday triggering a tsunami warning, the meteorological department said, but there was no immediate word on any casualties or damage The U.S. Geological Survey later said the quake had a magnitude of 7.3. "Everyone ran out into the street," Agustinus Florianus, a resident of Maumere town on Flores island, told Reuters.