Coronavirus HIGHLIGHTS: Omicron variant cases rise in India, tally mounts to 21

Delhi reported 63 Covid-19 cases and zero death due to the infection while the positivity rate saw a marginal increase to 0.11 per cent from 0.08 per cent the previous day, according to data shared by the Health Department here on Sunday.

The number of cumulative cases of the disease rose to 14,41,358. Over 14.15 lakh patients have recovered so far. The death toll from the pandemic stands at 25,098 in Delhi.

Seven deaths linked to the virus were reported in Delhi in November, the highest number of fatalities due to Covid-19 in the last three months in the national capital, according to official data. Delhi had recorded four Covid deaths in October and five in September.

On Saturday, Delhi reported 51 coronavirus cases at a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent.

On Friday, the national capital recorded 54 cases at a positivity rate of 0.09 per cent. On Thursday, the city recorded 41 cases with a positivity rate of 0.06 per cent while on Wednesday, it logged 39 cases with a positivity rate of 0.07 per cent.

Gujarat on Sunday recorded 48 new coronavirus positive cases and one death, which raised its infection tally to 8,27,707 and fatality figure to 10,095, the health department said.

The recovery count of the state reached 8,17,263 as 24 persons got discharge during the day. Of the total 349 active cases, seven patients are on ventilator, it said in a release.

As many as 8.28 crore anti-coronavirus vaccine doses have been administered to the eligible population in Gujarat so far, of which, 1.39 lakh doses were given on Sunday.

No new case of Covid-19 was registered in the adjoining Union Territory of Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in the last 24 hours, an official release said.

Omicron variant cases rise in India, tally mounts to 21

- Rajasthan 9 cases
- Maharashtra 8 cases
- Karnataka 2
- Gujarat 1
- Delhi 1

Nine people have been confirmed with the Omicron virus as per reports of genome sequencing. The department isolated the people who came in contact with the infected people.

J&K administration to impose Rs 20,000 fine on those hiding their travel history amid Omicron variant scare.

"We have intensified surveillance mechanism at the international airport in Hyderabad. As many as 970 passengers have arrived in the city since December 1. Upon screening with RT-PCR, 13 were found positive and they were immediately shifted to a facility. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing, the results of which are expected this evening. Only then we will know whether they are Omicron variant or the existing Delta variant," Telangana Health Director Dr Srinivas Rao. (ANI)

A 44-year-old woman arrived from Lagos, Nigeria on November 24 to meet her brother in Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal area, she was accompanied by her two daughters, the brother and his two daughters a total of 6 people have been tested positive for Omicron variant as per the report obtained from Pune's National Institute of Virology, Sunday evening.

Additionally, a 47-year-old man from Pune has also tested positive for the Omicron variant, as reported by the National Chemical Laboratory.
The total number of Omicron positive patients in the state is up to eight.

As many as 126 foreign travellers have arrived in Shahjahanpur, 86 people are left for contact tracing, sampling and isolation; process is underway. Medical officers have been directed to take health info of travellers & take samples on & after 7 days of their arrival: CMO, SP Gautam. (ANI)

126 foreign travellers have arrived in Shahjahanpur, 86 people are left for contact tracing, sampling & isolation; process is underway. Medical officers have been directed to take health info of travellers &take samples on&after 7 days of their arrival: CMO, SP Gautam on #Omicron pic.twitter.com/D5k9WPQwL2

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 5, 2021

BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda congratulated the state government, doctors, health care workers and all the frontline workers for achieving this unique feat as it was due to their dedication and commitment that Himachal has emerged as pioneer in vaccination.

While addressing the event, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that Himachal Pradesh has achieved 100 per cent target of second dose of Covid vaccination.

He said that specially abled, old citizens were provided vaccination through mobile teams and house-to-house vaccination. He said that complete vaccination was performed first in the inaccessible areas and tribal areas of the state and Kinnaur district became the first district in the entire country to administer the second dose of corona to all eligible adults. For the convenience of the workers working in industrial areas, vaccination sessions were organized according to their convenience and also by visiting their workplace, he added.

A passenger from Singapore, who had tested positive for Covid-19 at the Madurai Airport yesterday, has been admitted to Aasaripallam Government Hospital. It is yet to be ascertained if he has been infected with the Omicron variant: Kanyakumari district admin

Thirteen international passengers have tested Covid positive in Hyderabad out of the 960 that arrived since December 1. The variant is yet to be ascertained. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing and the results are expected by evening, Dr. G Srinivasa Rao, Director, Health, Telangana said. The infected people are in isolation.

The 33-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane district, who had tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus, is in a "stable" condition and is responding well to the medical treatment, a senior health official said on Sunday. The marine engineer is currently undergoing treatment at a Covid-19 care centre in Kalyan town, located about 50 km from the state capital Mumbai. Samples of six other people, who tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving in Kalyan-Dombivli area of Thane district from different countries, have been sent for genome sequencing and the results are awaited, another official said.

A total of 40 people, including students and teachers, have tested Covid positive in a residential school in Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru district. Over 400 children have been tested so far.

India has reported 8,895 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours. The maximum number of daily deaths has been reported in Bihar with 2,426 fatalities.

Covid-19 vaccination has been made compulsory in Puducherry with immediate effect. Those found in violation of the order will be liable for penal action, a government notification said.

IIT-Kanpur professor Manindra Agarwal has said the third wave of Covid is likely to peak in Janurary 2022.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials have tracked down all the ten people who arrived from South Africa on November 20. The ten were initially untraceable after civic authorities detected two cases of Omicron infection in the city.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that the total number of confirmed Omicron cases had risen to 160. "We've kept the data under review over the last week or so since we learned about Omicron, and we're seeing increasing number of cases linked to travel," Health Minister Sajid Javid said.

Chilean health authorities reported on Saturday that they detected the first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in a person who had arrived in the copper-producing South American country from Africa. The foreign patient residing in Chile arrived in the country on Nov. 25 from Ghana with a recently-taken negative Covid-19 test. But a subsequent test taken upon arrival in Chile was positive and then sequenced.