LIVE: Two SA returnees test Covid positive in Bengaluru; Omicron reaches UK

Two linked cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant have been detected in Britain connected to travel to southern Africa, health minister Sajid Javid said on Saturday

8:59 PM

South Africa considers limits to curb Omicron

South Africa may announce more stringent lockdown measures in coming days to curb a resurgence of coronavirus infections and the spread of a new variant, people familiar with the matter said, reported Bloomberg on Saturday.

 

The National Coronavirus Command Council met Saturday to discuss possible measures, while weighing the impact any moves will have on the economy, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks aren’t public. Among the options being considered are ways to try and boost the nation’s vaccination rate, they said. 

8:25 PM

2 South Africans test Covid positive in Bengaluru

8:18 PM

UK detects 2 cases of new COVID-19 variant Omicron

The UK on Saturday detected two cases of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, according to health secretary Sajid Javid as he added four more African countries to Britain's travel red list.

 

The patients were detected in Chelmsford and Nottingham, Javid was quoted as saying by the BBC.

7:31 PM

Karnataka CM holds an emergency meeting over Omicron

7:03 PM

Hungary to tighten controls on air travel from seven African countries

Hungary will impose restrictions on travellers from Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the government said on Saturday after a new coronavirus variant was detected in South Africa.

 

Hungary said it was joining a European Union move to curb air travel from southern Africa and that its measures would be published in a government decree later in the day.

6:30 PM

Kerala sees 4,741 new Covid cases

6:27 PM

Highly probable Omicron is in Germany

It’s “very likely” the new coronavirus strain, omicron, has arrived in Germany, a state official said Saturday.

 

A traveler returning from South Africa on Friday night showed several symptoms typical of the new variant, Kai Klose, minister of social affairs in the German state of Hesse, said on Twitter without providing more detail. 

 

While the virus sample hasn’t been sequenced, there’s a “high level of suspicion” that the person has the new strain, Klose said. The traveler has been isolated at home. 

6:09 PM

Several areas in Chennai partially submerged in floodwater

4:31 PM

ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021 in Zimbabwe has been abandoned

JUST IN: The ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe has been called off due to Covid risk.

Details

4:30 PM

DDMA meet on Monday to take a call on RT-PCR testing of passengers deboarding from international flights

4:02 PM

WHO asks South East Asian countries to scale up surveillance

3:22 PM

Maharashtra issues fresh curbs for overseas travellers

3:21 PM

SKM to decide the next course of action in its next meeting on Dec 4

3:13 PM

'PM Modi should direct state govs and Railways to withdraw cases registered against farmers'

3:10 PM

SKM decides to postpone the proposed tractor rally to Parliament

2:57 PM

Aircel Maxis case: Delhi court issues summons to P Chidambaram, his son

2:25 PM

PM asks officials to review plans for easing of international travel curbs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked officials at a high-level meeting to review plans for easing of international travel restrictions amid rising global concerns over a new strain of the coronavirus which the World Health Organization has named 'Omicron'. The variant has been classified as a highly transmissible virus of concern.

 

PM Modi chaired a comprehensive meeting, which lasted for almost two hours to review the public health preparedness and vaccination related situation for Covid-19, said Prime Minister's Office.

2:11 PM

Passengers arriving in Mumbai from South Africa to be quarantined

1:49 PM

Go First flight from Bengaluru to Patna diverted to Nagpur

1:27 PM

Stop flights from countries with new Covid-19 variants: Kejriwal to Modi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop flights from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong where new Covid-19 variants have been detected.

"I urge Hon'ble PM to stop flights from those countries which are affected by new variant. With great difficulty, our country has recovered from Corona. We should do everything possible to prevent this new variant from entering India," Kejriwal tweeted this morning.

12:24 PM

Inside India's first Pod hotel at Mumbai Central Railway station

12:23 PM

No point in continuing farmers' agitation, says agriculture minister

11:42 AM

Tamil Nadu rain: Eight people have died in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu

Eight people have died in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu, out of which 3 people lost their lives yesterday. Two teams of NDRF have been deployed in Chinglepet and one in Kanchipuram: State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister KKSSR Ramachandran in Chennai

11:19 AM

Delhi: Resident doctors of Lady Hardinge Medical College observe strike over delay in NEET-PG counselling 2021

Delhi: Resident doctors of Lady Hardinge Medical College observe strike called by Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) over the delay in NEET-PG counselling 2021

 

11:07 AM

PM Narendra Modi chairs meeting with top govt officials on Covid-19 situation & vaccination

PM Narendra Modi chairs meeting with top govt officials on COVID-19 situation & vaccination; Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Principal Secretary to PM, PK Mishra, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan & NITI Aayog member (health) Dr VK Paul are among the attendees 

10:59 AM

Winter Session: Centre to present bill to cancel 3 farm laws on Day 1 of winter session

Winter Session: Centre to present bill to cancel 3 farm laws on Day 1 of winter session

10:23 AM

Global Covid caseload tops 260.5 mn

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 260.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 5.18 million and vaccination to over 7.55 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University.

 

In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and the total number of vaccine doses administered stood at 260,573,629, 5,188,428 and 7,553,094,809, respectively.

 

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 48,177,907 and 776,349, respectively according to the CSSE.

10:18 AM

India logs 8,318 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

India reported 8,318 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, informed the Health Ministry.

 

As many as 465 people succumbed to the COIVD-19 infection in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 467,933.

 

With 10,967 fresh recoveries, the total recoveries stand at 33,988,797. The recovery rate is currently at 98.34 per cent, which is the highest since March 2020.

 

The active case accounts for less than 1 per cent of total cases, currently at 0.31 per cent, lowest since March 2020, at 107,019.

9:53 AM

Assam reports 175 new COVID-19 cases

Assam recorded 175 new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, as per the health bulletin issued by the state government on Friday.

 

The positivity rate for the day stands at 0.54 per cent. A total of 32,344 samples were tested during the last 24 hours.

 

219 people recovered from the infection during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of recoveries to 6,07,435.

9:25 AM

Karnataka: 116 more medical college students test positive for COVID-19, tally reaches 182

As many as 116 medical college students were tested COVID-19 positive in Karnataka's Dharwad on Friday, taking the tally of confirmed cases in the campus to 182.

 

SDM College of Medical Sciences in Karnataka's Dharwad has become a COVID-19 cluster after students infected with coronavirus went up to 182 today from 66 a day before, officials said.

 

The students had attended a function held on November 17 in the college campus.