Coronavirus Updates | Covid test must for travelers from 'at risk' countries on arrival at Delhi airport

The Delhi government has issued guidelines for international travellers. As per the guidelines, those coming from 'at risk' countries will have to undertake Covid test on arrival at the Delhi airport. Passengers will have to bear the cost of the test and will have to wait at the airport until the result comes.

In case of a negative result, the passenger will be home-quarantined for seven days and will be tested again on the eighth day. If the test result is negative on the eighth day, the passenger will be asked to self-monitor for seven days.

In case of a positive result, passenger's sample will be sent for genome sequencing.

Countries in 'at risk' category:

1. European countries, including the United Kingdom
2. South Africa
3. Brazil
4. Bangladesh
5. Botswana
6. China
7. Mauritius
8. New Zealand
9. Zimbabwe
10. Singapore
11. Hong Kong
12. Israel

Kerala CMO tweets: People who won't cooperate with Covid-prevention measures, will not get free treatment, says Kerala CMO. The CMO added that non-vaccinated teachers and employees, who work from offices or interact with public, will have to submit weekly results of RT-PCR tests, paid for by themselves, to ensure safety of all.

No more free treatment for those who do not cooperate with Covid prevention measures. Non vaccinated teachers and employees who work from offices or interact with public, will have to submit weekly results of RTPCR tests, paid for by themselves, to ensure safety of all.

— CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) November 30, 2021

Covid-19 vaccination update:

India’s cumulative vaccination coverage has crossed the 124-crore milestone. Over 72 lakh vaccine doses were administered till 7 pm on Tuesday.

New findings about the coronavirus variant Omicron made it clear that the emerging threat slipped into countries well before their defenses were up, as two distant nations announced their first cases and a third reported its presence before South African officials sounded the alarm.

The Netherlands' RIVM health institute found Omicron in samples dating from November 19 and 23. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said South Africa first reported the variant to the UN health agency on November 24.

(With inputs from AP)

Twelve new cases of coronavirus infections were reported from Ladakh, which took the total tally of Covid-19 cases in the UT to 21,540. Out of these, 20,076 patients have been cured. At present, Ladakh has 250 active cases, an official said. One person has died of covid in the capital city of Leh, taking the total death count to 214 -- 156 in Leh and 58 in Kargil -- since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, they said.

(With inputs from PTI.)

Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar said on Tuesday that available scientific literature shows most of the current Covid-19 vaccines are disease-modifying in nature wherein mortality and hospitalisations are significantly reduced in the vaccinated but a proportion of such people may still have mild or asymptomatic infections.

The minister said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

He added that, therefore, it is important to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times including strict use of masks, maintaining social distancing and hand-washing.

(With PTI inputs)

In view of the new coronavirus variant Omicron, West Bengal government has extended Covid restrictions till December 31, 2021. Night curfew hours from 11pm to 5am will continue. However, essential services will be exempted.

All international passengers arriving at Karantaka will have to undergo mandatory Covid testing.

Minister of Health and Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar said on Tuesday that around 2,500 international passengers arrive in Karnataka every day and it is now mandatory for everyone to undergo RTPCR testing.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal chaired a meeting amid the Omicron variant threat with all the departments concerned and took stock of the preparations.

CM Kejriwal said that during the last Covid wave, 25,000 beds were added in Delhi and now 30,000 oxygen beds have been readied, of which 10,000 are ICU beds, while 6,800 more ICU beds are being prepared.

Cambodia has barred entry to travellers from ten African countries, citing the threat from the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

The move, announced in a health ministry statement issued late on Monday, came just two weeks after Cambodia reopened its borders to fully vaccinated travellers.

The health ministry said the entry ban included anyone who has spent time over the last three weeks in any of the ten listed countries, which are South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola and Zambia. (Associated Press)

One person has tested positive for the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, French authorities said on Tuesday.

The Union health ministry has asked all states to ramp up Covid-19 testing and emphasised that the new Omicron variant does not escape RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests.

"Existing Covid-19 jabs will struggle against the Omicron variant and it will take months to develop a new shot that works," Stephane Bancel, CEO of US vaccine manufacturer Moderna, told the Financial Times.

A new research study, conducted by the Department of Research and Department of Blood Transfusion Medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, has found that blood groups A, B and Rh+ are more susceptible to Covid-19 whereas O, AB and Rh- are at lower risk of the infection.

On Tuesday, Japan confirmed its first case of the new Omicron coronavirus variant. The individual who tested positive for the Omicron variant is a visitor who recently arrived from Namibia, an official said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs extended the validity of Covid-19 containment measures, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in its advisory dated September 21, till December 31, 2021.

Schools for Classes 1-7 will now reopen from December 15, instead of December 1, in Mumbai. This decision has been taken in light of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, the BMC said.