LIVE: PM urges need for effective usage of masks amid Covid spike

Live news updates: EC bars physical rallies and roadshows till January 15 in five states; Bharat Biotech says trials shows its Covid-19 vaccine is safe for booster dosage.

10:21 PM

Over 5,000 people fined in Delhi for not wearing masks

Amid an uptick in coronavirus cases, the Delhi government has taken action against 5,073 people for not wearing masks in public or work places. to p Covid-appropriate behaviour.

 

According to official data, 61 FIRs were registered on Saturday against those not following Covid-appropriate behaviour and a fine of Rs.1.25 crores was collected from the violators.

 

The data stated that 5,073 people were challaned for violation of masks, 74 for not maintaining social distancing and 51 people were fined for spitting in public places in its 11 districts.

10:05 PM

Tamil Nadu Covid-19 tally breaches 28 lakh mark

Tamil Nadu continued to report over 10,000 daily COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day on Sunday as 12,895 infections were added to its tally, which touched 28,00,286 while 12 more deaths mounted the toll to 36,855.

 

Recoveries remained low with 1,808 people walking out of health care facilities aggregating to 27,12,096 leaving 51,335 active infections, a medical bulletin said. After witnessing a declining trend for several weeks, Tamil Nadu has been reporting a sharp rise in new cases over the last few days. The state recorded 10,978 new cases on Saturday. The state capital accounted for majority of new cases with 6,186 people contracting the contagion followed by Chengalpet 1,512 while 18 districts reported new cases in triple digits.

 

Among those who tested positive today include 52 returnees from domestic and overseas locations. A total of 1,48,308 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, pushing the cumulative number of specimens examined to 5.85 crore.

 

On the status of Omicron variant, the bulletin said total cases stood at 185 of which 179 were discharged, leaving nil active cases. Six cases cross-notified to Kerala, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh, it added.

9:56 PM

Tripura govt to impose night curfew from January 10

Tripura govt to impose night curfew from January 10

9:50 PM

Rajasthan orders closure of schools in urban areas, Sunday curfew; logs 5,660 new Covid cases

The Rajasthan government on Sunday announced the closure of schools in urban areas, Sunday curfews, time limits on markets and a cap on occupancy at restaurants and movie theatres in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

 

The restrictions were tightened on a day the state registered 5,660 new Covid cases and one death. Of the fresh infections, 2,377 were reported in Jaipur.

 

Rajasthan currently has 19,467 active cases. At the chief minister's residence, as many as 27 personnel, drivers of VVIP vehicles, have tested Covid positive. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot is already under home isolation after contracting the disease.

9:39 PM

Maharashtra logs 44,388 new Covid cases, 2,954 more than day before; 12 fatalities

Maharashtra on Sunday reported 44,388 new COVID-19 cases and 12 fatalities, taking the tally of infections to 69,20,044 and the death toll to 1,41,639, the state health department said. A day earlier, the state had reported 41,434 coronavirus cases and 13 deaths.

 

With 15,351 patients discharged on Sunday, the number of recoveries rose to 65,72,432 in Maharashtra, which is now left with 2,02,259 active cases, the department said in a statement.

 

The state added 207 fresh cases with the Omicron variant of coronavirus, taking the number of such patients to 1,216. The case recovery rate in Maharashtra now stands at 94.98 per cent and the fatality rate is 2.04 per cent, the department said.

9:13 PM

Mumbai records 19,474 Covid cases, 8,063 recoveries, and seven deaths in a day

9:08 PM

AAP announces five more candidates for Punjab assembly elections

The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday announced its ninth list of candidates for the Punjab assembly elections next month.

 

With this, the party has declared its candidates for 109 of the 117 assembly seats, a party statement said.

 

The state will vote on February 14 and the counting will take place on March 10.

 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is eyeing to wrest power from the ruling Congress in the northern state.

9:03 PM

Iran offers to assist India in transportation of aid to Afghanistan

Iran has offered to assist India in the transportation of wheat, medicines and coronavirus vaccines to Afghanistan which has been reeling under a serious humanitarian crisis.

 

The offer was made by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a telephonic conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday, according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

 

In the conversation, Amir-Abdollahian also called for the formation of an inclusive government in Kabul, the Iranian foreign ministry said.

 

"Regarding Afghanistan, Amir Abdollahian stressed the need to form an inclusive government in the country. He also referred to India's humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, announcing measures and cooperation by the Islamic Republic of Iran to transfer this aid in the form of wheat, medicine and COVID-19 vaccine to the country," it said in a statement.

8:56 PM

Ensure adequate health infrastructure at the district level, maintain coordination with states, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed on the need to ensure adequate health infrastructure at the district level and asked officials to maintain coordination regarding this with the states, in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation.

PM Modi today chaired a high-level meeting to assess the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the country, ongoing preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, status of the vaccination campaign in the country and the emergence of new COVID-19 variant Omicron and its public health implications for the country.

A detailed presentation highlighting the surge in cases currently being reported globally was given by the Secretary of Health Ministry. This was followed by the status of COVID-19 in India highlighting various States and Districts of concern, based on the surge in cases and high positivity being reported. Further, various efforts made by the Central Government so far in terms of supporting States to manage the upcoming challenge were highlighted. Various predictive scenarios of peak cases were also presented.

8:47 PM

Covid: PM calls for ensuring adequate health infra, accelerating vaccination drive for adolescents

Reviewing the Covid situation amid a surge in cases fuelled by the Omicron variant of the virus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for ensuring adequate health infrastructure at district level and accelerating the vaccination drive for adolescents in mission mode.

 

Noting that the coronavirus has been evolving continuously, Modi underlined the need for continuous scientific research in testing and vaccines besides pharmacological interventions, including genome sequencing, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.

 

Highlighting the need to ensure effective usage of masks and physical distancing measures as a new normal to control the spread of Covid, Modi called for effective implementation of home isolation for mild and asymptomatic cases and to disseminate the factual information to the community at large.

 

He said a meeting with chief ministers be convened to discuss state-specific scenarios, best-practices and public health response, the PMO added.

 

Conveying gratitude for the relentless services provided by healthcare workers in managing the pandemic, he said ensuring precaution dose for them and other frontline workers should be taken up in mission mode, it said.

 

A presentation was made in the meet to highlight India's consistent efforts towards the vaccination campaign, with 31 per cent adolescents aged 15-18 years having been administered with the first dose so far within seven days of the start of the drive.

8:36 PM

India to start administering precaution dose of Covid vaccine in India from Monday

India will start administering the precaution dose of Covid vaccine to healthcare and frontline workers, and comorbid people aged 60 and above from Monday in a bid to stymie the coronavirus spread driven by its Omicron variant.

 

Personnel deployed in election duty in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa have also been designated as frontline workers.

 

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a tweet on Sunday, said reminder SMSes have been sent to over one crore healthcare and frontline workers and senior citizens for their precaution dose.

 

An estimated 1.05 crore healthcare and 1.9 crore frontline workers, and 2.75 crore comorbid people in the 60 plus age group would be administered the precaution dose according to schedule, Health Ministry sources said.

8:34 PM

PM Modi calls for ensuring continuity of non-Covid health services while managing Covid cases: PMO

PM Modi calls for ensuring continuity of non-Covid health services while managing Covid cases: PMO

8:33 PM

31% adolescents aged 15-18 years administered first dose of Covid vaccine within seven days: PMO

31 pc adolescents aged 15-18 years administered first dose of Covid vaccine within seven days: PMO

8:23 PM

PM says meeting with CMs to be convened to discuss state-specific scenarios, best practices, health response

PM Modi says meeting with CMs to be convened to discuss state-specific scenarios, best practices, public health response: PMO

8:21 PM

West Bengal reports 24,287 new COVID cases, 8,213 recoveries, and 18 deaths

8:18 PM

Continued 'Jan Andolan' focused on Covid-appropriate behaviour critical in our battle against pandemic: PM

Continued 'Jan Andolan' focused on Covid-appropriate behaviour critical in our battle against pandemic: PM Modi at review meeting

8:18 PM

Need continuous research in testing, vaccines, pharmacological interventions, including genome sequencing: PM

Need continuous research in testing, vaccines, pharmacological interventions, including genome sequencing, as coronavirus evolving: PM Modi

8:17 PM

PM calls for adequate health infrastructure, boosting vaccine drive for adolescents in mission mode

PM Modi calls for adequate health infrastructure in districts, boosting Covid vaccine drive for adolescents in mission mode: PMO

8:16 PM

PM Modi reviews Covid situation with particular focus on preparedness as Omicron infections rise

PM Modi reviews Covid situation with particular focus on preparedness as infections fuelled by Omicron variant rise: PMO

8:00 PM

LIVE: PM Narendra Modi chairs a meeting to review Covid situation

7:55 PM

Moderna working on jab against Covid, flu

US drugmaker Moderna has said that it is working on a single Covid vaccine that would work against both Covid and flu. The jab could be ready as early as next year.

 

According to the company's UK chief Darius Hughes, an annual "combination" vaccine would be more convenient for patients because it required fewer visits to a medical facility and cut the NHS's cost of administering vaccinations, Daily Mail reported.

 

The vaccine against Covid and flu could be available by the winter of 2023 "at a stretch", Hughes was quoted as saying. Last year, the NHS sought to reassure patients that administering jabs against flu and Covid at the same time did not affect the immune response.

7:43 PM

17 Covid deaths, 22,751 new cases in Delhi in a day

Delhi logged 17 deaths due to COVID-19 and 22,751 infections in a day as the positivity rate soared to 23.53 per cent, according to the city health department's data released on Sunday.

 

The number of new cases reported on Sunday was the highest since May 1 last year when the city recorded 25,219 cases with a positivity rate of 31.61 per cent.

 

A total of 1,618 Covid patients are in hospitals. Of them, 44 are on ventilator support, government data showed. The city currently has 60,733 active cases of which 35,714 are in home isolation. A total of 96,678 tests, including 79,954 RT-PCR ones, were conducted the previous day.

7:41 PM

Mandaviya to interact with health ministers of 5 states, UT on Monday to review Covid situation

Union Health Mansukh Mandaviya will interact with health ministers of five states and a Union Territory to review the COVID-19 situation on Monday amid a spike in infections, official sources said.

 

The Union minister will virtually interact with health ministers of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, an official source said.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Sunday to review the COVID-19 situation in the country as the Omicron variant of the virus fuels a surge in cases.

 

According to Union Health Ministry data updated at 8 am on Sunday, a total of 1,59,632 new coronavirus infections were reported, the highest in 224 days, while the active cases increased to 5,90,611, the highest in around 197 days. On May 29 last year, India had logged 1,65,553 infections in a day.

7:27 PM

All offline classes of classes 1st to 9th to remain closed, online classes to continue in Puducherry

Amid rising cases of Covid-19, all physical classes for students of classes 1st to 9th to remain closed, online mode of study to continue in Puducherry, ANI reported.

7:25 PM

Pune reports 4,029 fresh Covid cases, active tally rises to 14,890

Pune reports 4,029 fresh Covid cases today, taking active cases in the city to 14,890

7:20 PM

Karnataka reports 12,000 new Covid cases, 9,020 in Bengaluru

Bengaluru has been reporting a surge in COVID-19 cases as the positivity rate in the city continued to stay around 10 per cent and 9,020 new cases were reported on Sunday while 12,000 fresh cases were reported in Karnataka, informed state health minister Dr K Sudhakar.

 

"Test positivity rate in Bengaluru stays around 10 per cent as cases increase to 9,020 today. An increase of 27 per cent over yesterday's tally of 7,113. The Capital accounts for 75 per cent of State's total cases," he wrote on Twitter.

 

Meanwhile, Karnataka on Sunday reported 12,000 fresh cases of the infection. The positivity rate in the state is at 6.33 per cent.

 

The state has 49,602 active cases of which 40,000 are in Bengaluru, Dr Sudhakar said. In the last 24 hours, four deaths due to the virus were reported. Of these, two were reported in Bengaluru. Total 1,89,499 tests were conducted on Sunday to detect the presence of virus in the population. On Sunday, 901 people recovered from the virus.

6:49 PM

Kohli hits nets, could return for decisive third Test against SA

India Test captain Virat Kohli hit the nets on Sunday and if his cover drives and off drives were any indication, he could return for the decisive third match against South Africa after missing the second game due to a back spasm.

The Indian team began training for the third and final Test hoping to recover from the defeat in Johannesburg and claim its maiden series win in the Rainbow Nation.

"We are here at the picturesque Cape Town. #TeamIndia begin preparations for the 3rd Test," the BCCI tweeted along with a picture of the Indian camp after the visiting players hit the ground running at the magnificent Newlands Stadium.

The third Test is scheduled to be played here from January 11-15.

If Kohli is declared match fit, Hanuma Vihari will make way for the Indian talisman.

6:14 PM

Places of worship, liquor shops under curbs too to stem overcrowding: Maha minister

Restrictions will be gradually brought in statewide at places of worship and other sites, including liquor vends, that attract crowds in order to control the coronavirus pandemic, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday.

Restrictions imposed by the state government a day earlier were in the interest of people, he added.

"Curbs in crowded areas like liquor shops and places of worship will be imposed as well. However, even as cases are rising, hospital bed occupancy and oxygen demand are low. When these start rising, we will enforce stricter restrictions," he told reporters.

6:02 PM

Now Congress says it backs Nitish on caste census

The Congress in Bihar on Sunday asserted that it was "fully" with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on the issue of caste census and urged him to move forward and hold a state-specific exercise without waiting for a nod from his ally BJP which is keeping cards close to the chest.

Congress Legislature Party leader Ajeet Sharma's statement to the effect came close on the heels of Lalu Prasad's RJD, the principal opposition party in the state, adopting a similar stance.

"The Chief Minister wants to convene an all-party meeting..... apparently the BJP does not want to be seen on the same page.....Let Nitish Kumar go ahead, the Congress is fully with him on the issue", Sharma told reporters here.

The state BJP has in the past backed a caste census with its MLAs voting in favour of resolutions passed twice, unanimously, by the legislature.

The party finds itself in a bind after the Narendra Modi government turned down demands for conducting headcount of social groups other than SCs and STs.

5:40 PM

Record 793,000 houses in Himachal get tap water connections

With Tashigang village in the Spiti Valley, the country's highest polling station located close to the India-China border, connected with tapped water, a record 7.93 lakh households in Himachal Pradesh have been connected with taps in two years, and the new connections are more than 7.63 lakh taps installed in 72 years, a statement said on Sunday.

To provide universal coverage of water supply to all households through functional taps, the Central government had initiated the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

The state has made rigorous efforts to ensure successful implementation of the scheme.

The state aims to provide tapped water in every household by year 2022, while the national target is to provide water by 2024.