Covid LIVE: 28,867 new cases in Delhi; NEET-UG counselling from Jan 19

Delhi's positivity rate is 29.21 %

9:54 PM

Maharashtra records marginal dip in new Covid cases at 46,406; 36 more die

Maharashtra on Thursday reported 46,406 new coronavirus cases, 317 less than a day before, and 36 more fatalities linked to the infection, the health department said.

 

No new Omicron infection was reported in the state, it said. With the fresh additions, the state's overall tally of those infected with coronavirus rose to 70,81,067, while the death toll mounted to 1,41,737, the department said. On Wednesday, the state had reported 46,723 cases and 32 fatalities. Also, 34,658 patients were discharged in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recovered cases to 66,83,769, the department said. The coronavirus recovery rate in the state stands at 94.39 per cent. Currently, 17,95,631 people are in home quarantine and another 9,124 in institutional quarantine, it added.

9:41 PM

Rising trend of Covid cases continues in Haryana with 7,591 fresh infections, two deaths

There was no let up in the rising trend of COVID-19 cases in Haryana, with 7,591 fresh infections and two fatalities reported on Thursday.

 

The total number of active cases in the state now stands at over 35,979.

 

With a fatality each reported from Faridabad and Ambala districts, the cumulative death toll in the state rose to 10,085, according to the health department's daily bulletin. The total Covid case count in the state rose to 8,20,107.

9:29 PM

Govt must vaccinate elderly, ailing persons against COVID-19 at the earliest: HC

Observing that the COVID-19 outbreak is now being called as an epidemic of the unvaccinated, the Delhi High Court Thursday said the government must vaccinate at the earliest those people who are old and unwell.

 

The court was hearing a plea seeking formulation of a policy on urgent door-to-door COVID-19 vaccination for bed-ridden senior citizens here.

 

A bench of Justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla was informed by the counsel for the 84-year-old petitioner that she is bed-ridden and has not been able to get herself vaccinated even after filing of the petition and after calling at the helpline introduced by the Delhi government on January 7.

 

The court was informed by the petitioner's counsel Manan Aggarwal that on contacting the helpline number, they told that they do not have any information regarding vaccinating bed-ridden at home. However, the Delhi government claims that the door-to-door campaign was functional.

9:17 PM

PM Modi asked CMs to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination pace in their states, says Sawant

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked chief ministers to accelerate the pace of vaccination in their respective states and take other precautionary measures in view of the rising cases of COVID-19.

 

Modi on Thursday interacted with the chief ministers over the COVID-19 situation in the country. Home Minister Amit Shah and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also attended the meeting.

 

"During the meeting, the PM tried to know the positivity rate and the health infrastructure in the state," Sawant said.

7:59 PM

NEET-UG counseling to begin from January 19

7:58 PM

28,867 new cases in Delhi

7:25 PM

Mumbai reports 13,702 fresh cases

6:56 PM

Kerala records 13,468 fresh COVID-19 cases, 117 deaths

Kerala on Thursday reported more than 10,000 fresh COVID-19 cases for the second day running with the state logging 13,468 new infections which raised the caseload to 53,17,490.

 

The southern state had reported 12,742 cases a day ago.

 

Kerala on Thursday also reported 117 deaths which raised the total fatalities in the state to 50,369, according to a government release.

6:52 PM

We need to counter rumours about vaccination: PM Modi

6:18 PM

Omicron infecting general population several times faster than previous ones: PM

5:49 PM

Guwahati-Bikaner Express derailed near Domohani (West Bengal)

5:32 PM

Andhra Pradesh reports 4,348 new COVID-19 cases

5:06 PM

PM Modi starts virtual meet with CMs as Covid cases surge

3:13 PM

Entire apartment complex will be declared 'containment zone' in case of over 3 Covid cases: BBMP

3:02 PM

New data finds AstraZeneca booster generates higher antibodies against Omicron

AstraZeneca said on Thursday preliminary data from a trial it conducted on its COVID-19 shot, Vaxzevria, showed it generated a higher antibody response against the Omicron variant and others, including Beta, Delta, Alpha and Gamma, when given as a third booster dose.

 

The increased response was seen in people who were previously vaccinated with either Vaxzevria or an mRNA vaccine, the drugmaker said, adding that it would submit this data to regulators worldwide given the urgent need for boosters.

 

AstraZeneca has developed the vaccine with researchers from the University of Oxford, and lab studies last month found a three-dose course of Vaxzevria was effective against the rapidly spreading new variant.

2:45 PM

Omicron is observed in majority of patients: LNJP Hospital MD

2:39 PM

3 AstraZeneca doses give good protection against Omicron, says Adar

2:00 PM

Omicron shows higher vaccine unresponsiveness and failure, says senior Medanta Hospital doctor

1:44 PM

Karnataka Congress announces suspension of 'Mekedatu Padayatra'

1:31 PM

Hitachi to sell about half its stake in construction unit: report

Japan's Hitachi Ltd will sell about half its 51% stake in unit Hitachi Construction Machinery Co to trading firm Itochu Corp and investment fund Japan Industrial Partners, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday. Hitachi will sell the stake for about 200 billion yen ($1.7 billion), according to a Nikkei business daily report.

 

1:11 PM

Assam and Nagaland Governor tests Covid positive

Assam and Nagaland Governor Jagdish Mukhi tests positive for Covid-19. He was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Guwahati last night, says ANI. 

 

12:28 PM

NCLAT issues notices to CCI, Future Coupons over Amazon plea

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal has issued notices to Competition Commission India and Future Coupons over Amazon's plea challenging the anti-trust regulator order suspending arbitration between the two private companies, PTI reports

11:43 AM

Mallikarjun Kharge tests Covid positive

Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge, who is Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, has tested positive for Covid-19. According to a statement released by his office on Thursday, Kharge is asymptomatic and in quarantine at home.  “Five staff members in his Delhi office had tested positive a few days back, including the Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, RS,” the statement read, according to indianexpress.com.

11:37 AM

Wear two masks to keep omicron at bay, Hong Kong experts say

High-risk people should consider wearing two face masks to guard against contracting the omicron variant, two Hong Kong virus experts said, as the city attempts to stamp out an outbreak of the highly infectious virus. Wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask can “tighten the gap not covered by the surgical mask, which is often very loose,” said David Hui, a professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a member of the government’s scientific committee, according to Bloomberg.

 

11:10 AM

Tax dept issues refunds worth Rs 154,302 cr

9:49 AM

Maharashtra braces for Covid hospitalisations

Maharashtra expects a spike Covid-19 patients being hospitalised late January or in the first week of February. The state cabinet expressed concern after the health department made this projection during a presentation on Wednesday, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

9:26 AM

India has 247,417 new Covid cases, recovery rate decreases

India reported 247,417 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the most since late May, according to data from the health ministry. Active cases comprise 3.08 per cent of total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has decreased to 95.59 per cent.

 

9:08 AM

Adani Group, Korea's POSCO sign agreement for steel mill

India's Adani Group and South Korean steel major POSCO have signed an agreement to explore opportunities, including setting up of an integrated steel mill at Gujarat, the companies said in a statement on Thursday. The investment is estimated to be up to $5 billion.

9:05 AM

PM Modi to chair meet with chief ministers on COVID-19 situation today

Amid surging COVID-19 cases following the emergence of Omicron variant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the Chief Ministers of all states on Thursday at 4

This is the first meeting of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers of all states this year. PM Modi has held several meetings with chief ministers last year.

Earlier on Wednesday, Dr VK Paul, a NITI Aayog member, has also cautioned that the infection caused by the Omicron variant of coronavirus should not be considered common cold and people should not take it lightly.

8:56 AM

India, UK to kick-off negotiations for Free Trade Agreement today

The UK and India will launch negotiations on an ambitious Free Trade Agreement at an event in New Delhi on Thursday, said Britain's Department for International Trade on Wednesday (local time).

Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal will meet UK's International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan here to formally start talks on a deal that could create huge benefits for both countries, said the UK Department for International Trade in a press release on Wednesday (local time).