Covid LIVE: Maharashtra reports 26,538 new cases: Omicron tally at 797

With these additions, the state's Covid tally rose to 67,57,032, while the death toll increased to 141,581

10:10 PM

Maha sees 26,538 new Covid-19 cases, up 44% from day before

Maharashtra on Wednesday reported 26,538 fresh coronavirus positive cases, including 15,166 in Mumbai, the highest-ever daily count in the metropolis, and eight fatalities, civic officials and the state health department said.
 

Compared with Tuesday, the fresh cases in Maharashtra rose by 43.71 per cent or 8,072 in absolute numbers on Wednesday.

10:09 PM

Delhi govt asks its hospitals to increase Covid beds

Amid a surge in cases of coronavirus and its Omicron variant, the Delhi government has asked its nine hospitals to increase their cumulative Covid bed capacity to 4,350 from the existing 3,316, an official order said on Wednesday.
 

The Health and Family Welfare Department of the Delhi government issued the order. The hospitals it addressed to are India Gandhi Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Burari Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital, and Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital.

8:41 PM

Gujarat reports 3,350 new cases

8:36 PM

Leave of all Delhi govt officers, staff cancelled to ensure adequate manpower to handle Covid wave: DDMA

8:19 PM

West Bengal reports 14,022 new Covid cases

7:26 PM

Mumbai reports 15,166 fresh Covid infections

7:08 PM

Kerala reports 4,801 new cases

6:56 PM

Repeated rejections by the people have taken Congress to the path of insanity: Shah

6:18 PM

Karnataka reports 4,246 fresh Covid cases

6:17 PM

We respect our PM: Punjab CM

6:05 PM

No paracetamol or pain killers are recommended after being vaccinated with Covaxin: Bharat Biotech

6:04 PM

Maharashtra govt to discontinue physical classes in colleges,universities till February 15

6:02 PM

Delhi sees 10,665 fresh cases; positivity rate rises to 11.88%

5:26 PM

Molnupiravir has major safety concerns: ICMR DG

4:49 PM

Covid boosters will not be mix-and-match, announces govt

4:36 PM

Tamil Nadu announces night curfew from January 6, shutdown on Sunday

Tamil Nadu government announced night curfew from January 6, shutdown on Sunday, to curb rising Covid cases.

4:31 PM

'Omicron is the predominant circulating strain in the cities in the country'

4:25 PM

28 districts in the country are reporting more than 10% weekly positivity: Govt

4:16 PM

India reported over 6.3x rise in cases in last 8 days, says govt

2:56 PM

It is sad that PM’s visit to launch projects worth thousands of crores for Punjab was disrupted: Nadda

2:39 PM

PM Modi cancels his scheduled visit to Punjab's Ferozepur

2:04 PM

'Over 10 mn youngsters between 15-18 age group have received 1st dose of vaccine'

1:50 PM

Govt issues revised Covid guidelines for home isolation

1:44 PM

India reports first death linked to Omicron coronavirus variant

India on Wednesday reported its first COVID-19 death linked to the fast-spreading Omicron variant in the western state of Rajasthan, a union health ministry official said, Reuters reported.

 

Omicron cases in the country have now risen to 2,135, the official told a small group of reporters in New Delhi.

1:35 PM

India reports first death linked to Omicron coronavirus variant

India on Wednesday reported its first Covid-19 death linked to the fast-spreading Omicron variant in the western state of Rajasthan, a federal health ministry official said.
 

Omicron cases in the country have now risen to 2,135, the official told a small group of reporters in New Delhi.

1:22 PM

61 resident doctors found positive at JJ Hospital in Mumbai: Maharashtra Association of Resident Docs

61 resident doctors found positive for Covid-19 at JJ Hospital in Mumbai: Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors.

1:08 PM

Covid-19 vaccine does not increase risk of preterm birth: Study

Pregnant people who contract Covid-19 have an increased risk of disease severity and death, yet only 31 per cent of pregnant people in the United States had received vaccines as of September 2021. One barrier to vaccine acceptance is the concern that vaccination might disrupt pregnancy.

 

The findings were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

A Yale co-led study, which looked at more than 40,000 pregnant individuals, adds new evidence supporting the safety of Covid-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Read on...

1:04 PM

Bihar Deputy CMs, two ministers test positive for Covid-19

Four members of the Nitish Kumar cabinet in Bihar, including both Deputy Chief Ministers Renu Devi and Tar Kishor Prasad, tested positive for Covid-19 Wednesday, officials said.

 

Besides the two Deputy CMs, those who tested positive are Ashok Choudhary and Sunil Kumar, the ministers for building construction, and prohibition, excise and registration respectively.

 

According to officials, all members of the cabinet had undergone RTPCR tests ahead of the cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday as a precautionary measure.

1:01 PM

New auto sales up in 2021, but long way before full recovery

US new vehicle sales rebounded slightly last year from 2020's dismal numbers, but forecasters expect them to be more than 2 million below the years before the coronavirus pandemic.

 

The reason? Although there are plenty of customers who want to buy new vehicles at hefty prices, there still aren't enough computer chips for the industry to fully crank up its factories.

 

So supplies are short, prices are high, and many customers can't get what they want.

 

Demand is not off at all, said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst for Cox Automotive.

 

What is off is sales, because the inventory doesn't exist.

12:32 PM

Coronavirus scare: Congress postpones all UP rallies

Uttar Pradesh Congress has postponed its 'Ladki Hun Lad Sakti Hun' marathon due to rise in Covid cases 

 

7 to 8 marathons were planned in Noida, Varanasi, and various other districts of the states in the coming days