The Centre on Thursday advised states slated to hold assembly polls in the next few months to ramp up COVID vaccination exponentially to protect the vulnerable population given the steady rise in cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in India.
30 sportspersons and support staff across disciplines were found to be COVID-19 positive after 741 precautionary tests were conducted at the National Centres of Excellence in Patiala and Bengaluru, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said on Wednesday.
'Unless we make our own testing kits, we will not get out of this disease faster.'
A group of public health experts, including doctors from All India Institute of Medical Sciences and members from the national taskforce on COVID-19, have said that mass, indiscriminate and incomplete vaccination can trigger emergence of mutant strains and recommended that there is no need to inoculate those who had documented coronavirus infection.
"Currently, 187 of the 590 passengers who returned from the UK last week are placed under institutional quarantine at various hotels," Dr Gomare said.
They include a woman who came from Nigeria along with her two daughters to meet her brother in adjoining Pimpri Chinchwad area, the official said.
A record 14,92,409 tests have been conducted for detection of COVID-19 in a span of 24 hours.
The CSIR DG said the transmissibility of the new strain N501Y is a "bit higher" but this does not mean it is more lethal and more people are going to die due to it.
Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan held a review meeting with states and Union Territories on Tuesday and advised them to ramp up testing for early identification and management of cases.
Steve Smith, David Warner, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler will arrive in the UAE late on Thursday night (UAE time) from the UK and on arrival will undergo RT-PCR test for COVID-19.
'Through multiple transportation modes, flood waters, a couple of PPE kits, multiple temperature checks, quarantine check point, immigration approval, health declaration forms and through two Covid tests, which thankfully were negative, I finally reached home in Dubai.' Abhijit Masih reveals what it takes to embark on an international journey in the times of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 active caseload remained below four lakh for the third consecutive day.
Aware is the fifth Indian wrestler to test positive for the dreaded virus after Vinesh Phogat, Deepak Punia, Navin and Krishan.
Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Thursday said it has applied for emergency use authorisation (EUA) with the Indian drug regulator for its three-dose COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D, and plans to manufacture 10-12 crore doses annually.
They have been moved to a SAI empanelled hospital as a precautionary measure for further monitoring.
The BCCI doesn't want to leave anything to chance as far as safety of players and officials is concerned and the healthcare workers have been put in a separate hotel.
In view of cases of the Delta plus variant of COVID-19 emerging in Maharashtra, the state government on Friday announced 'state-level trigger' for imposing restrictions in administrative units irrespective of weekly positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy percentage.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has received the central government's formal approval to conduct this year's Indian Premier League in the UAE, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel said on Monday. The IPL will be held in the UAE from September 19 to November 10 in three cities -- Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The amount of financial assistance to each state and Union Territories is based on their COVID-19 caseload.
In view of the surge in the coronavirus cases, a night curfew will be enforced in Bengaluru and six other cities in Karnataka from 10 pm to 5 am starting Saturday, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced.
The Centre is conducting a study to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2, or novel coronavirus, in the Ganga as corpses were found dumped in the river during the second Covid wave, and were fished out from districts in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, officials said.
Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the unity of opposition parties will take shape on its own, sidestepping questions of her taking on the leadership role.
Both Avesh and Washington sustained their injuries while turning up for County XI in the first-class warm-up game against their own side. This was done after multiple players in the home team were ruled out either due to injury or because of COVID-19 isolation.
Jesuit priest and activist Stan Swamy, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, has tested positive for coronavirus.
Passengers arriving from any state to Bengaluru must be in possession of a RT-PCR negative report, Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Thursday.
These decisions were taken by the ministry based on the fresh recommendations by The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) and have also been communicated to the states and union territories, an official statement said.
Amid a scare about the spread of the Omicron variant, Delhi recorded 331 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest single-day rise since June 9, and one death in the past 24 hours, while the positivity rate mounted to 0.68 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department.
'Never before had I heard or seen anyone of this age dying due to COVID-19. This is the first I believe. The situation is really scary'
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive David White said Seifert had returned seven negative tests in the 10 days leading up to his pre-departure protocols, and was confident he would be receiving the best of care from his franchise.
"It will be in effect till January 5," Thackeray said, according to the statement.
'The prioritisation of groups for COVID-19 vaccine shall be based on two key considerations -- occupational hazard and risk of exposure to infection, and the risk of developing severe disease and increased mortality'
In a circular issued on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said it was "suspending travel to and from the following countries: (India, Brazil and Argentina) including any person who has been in any of the mentioned countries above in the last 14 days prior to their arrival to the Kingdom".
The positivity rate dipped to 0.12 per cent.
This test uses an indigenously developed, cutting-edge CRISPR technology for detection of the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 virus, CSIR said in a statement.
Experts said the strain has not propelled a surge in cases like Omicron, but advised strict adherence to COVID-19-appropriate behaviour.
Delhi Capitals and India all-rounder Axar Patel has rejoined his Indian Premier League side after staying in a medical care facility in Mumbai for nearly three weeks following a positive test result for COVID-19.
Kerala's iconic Thrissur Pooram, considered as the festival of festivals in the state, will be held this week without people's participation, considering the surge in Covid-19 cases in the southern state, officials said Thrissur on Tuesday.
Modi stressed on the need for constant genome sequencing to monitor emergence of mutants and also to ensure increased oxygen availability, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement.
The maiden coronavirus case in Mumbai was detected on March 11, while the first fatality was recorded on March 17.
One in five Indian students now prefer new and unconventional study destinations like Ireland, Turkey and Spain. The number of Indian students in Germany grew by 20.85 per cent in the winter semester to stand at over 25,000.
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