Covid-19 Live Updates: Passenger screening in Mumbai (AP Photo)
Coronavirus India Live Updates: A day after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new strain of the novel coronavirus, B.1.1.529, as a “variant of concern”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday chaired a meeting with top officials to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country as well as the nationwide vaccination drive.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said it was high time the government ensure vaccine security for all Indians. “Bad vaccination figures can’t be hidden for long behind one man’s photo,” he tweeted, taking a jibe at the prime minister.
The WHO described the strain, which was first announced by scientists in South Africa, as highly transmissible, prompting several countries, including India, to impose restrictions on travel from affected regions. Omicron, which it has been named, could potentially be more dangerous than the Delta variant. It has so far been reported in South Africa, Hong Kong, Botswana, Israel and Belgium.
All those travelling to Mumbai from South Africa will have to undergo mandatory quarantine upon arrival, the city’s mayor Kishori Pednekar announced on Saturday. They will also have to get tested, she added.
In the 24 hours ending 9 am Saturday, India reported 8,318 new Covid-19 cases and 465 deaths. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.86 per cent. It has been less than 2 per cent for the last 54 days. Weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 0.88 per cent. It has been below 1 per cent for the last 13 days, according to the health ministry.
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Coronavirus India Live Updates: PM Narendra Modi chairs meeting on Covid-19 situation in India; WHO declares new strain, named Omicron, a ‘variant of concern’; India reports 8,318 new Covid cases. Follow this space for the latest news and updates today
Commercial international flights have been suspended in the country since March last year owing to the coronavirus pandemic. (File Photo)
Explained: What we know about Omicron variant of Covid-19 so far
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, currently circulating in South Africa, as a ‘variant of concern’. It also named it Omicron.
The Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA) had identified the variant on Monday. It had detected a group of related SARS-CoV-2 viruses, which belong to a lineage named B.1.1.529.
Early indications are that this variant is possibly even more transmissible than the highly infectious Delta variant, and that current vaccines may be less effective against it.
What we do know so far about Omicron?
New variants continue to emerge as SARS-CoV-2 spreads, and the significance of each mutation becomes known after a period of time. But health authorities worldwide need to keep a constant watch to identify which ones are more important than others. It was as part of such an exercise that the NGS-SA detected B.1.1.529.
From what is known currently, B.1.1.529 has multiple spike protein mutations, and preliminary analysis suggests it is highly infectious. South Africa has reported a four-fold increase in new cases over the last two weeks, coinciding with the emergence of B.1.1.529.
On Thursday, the NGS-SA said B.1.1.529 has rapidly increased in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, and may already be present in most provinces. The NGS-SA has said the sustained increase in cases is possibly fuelled by cluster outbreaks.
Overseas flights start December 15 but new Covid fears trigger an ‘at-risk’ list
International scheduled commercial flights to and from India will resume December 15 onward after a 21-month ban, an order from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said Friday. While the move could potentially bring down fares on some high-volume flight routes, this comes at a time when international travel faces fresh uncertainty because of the new Covid-19 variant.
The government also released a list of ‘at-risk’ countries, and the nature of resumption of international scheduled flights will depend on whether a country is present in this list. It includes countries in Europe including the UK, and South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong Kong and Israel. Passengers travelling from the countries in this list issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will have to undergo additional measures upon arrival in India, including post-arrival testing.
Covid-19 Live Updates: Passenger screening in Mumbai (AP Photo)Coronavirus India Live Updates: A day after the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new strain of the novel coronavirus, B.1.1.529, as a “variant of concern”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday chaired a meeting with top officials to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the country as well as the nationwide vaccination drive. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said it was high time the government ensure vaccine security for all Indians. “Bad vaccination figures can’t be hidden for long behind one man’s photo,” he tweeted, taking a jibe at the prime minister. The WHO described the strain, which was first announced by scientists in South Africa, as highly transmissible, prompting several countries, including India, to impose restrictions on travel from affected regions. Omicron, which it has been named, could potentially be more dangerous than the Delta variant. It has so far been reported in South Africa, Hong Kong, Botswana, Israel and Belgium. All those travelling to Mumbai from South Africa will have to undergo mandatory quarantine upon arrival, the city’s mayor Kishori Pednekar announced on Saturday. They will also have to get tested, she added. In the 24 hours ending 9 am Saturday, India reported 8,318 new Covid-19 cases and 465 deaths. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.86 per cent. It has been less than 2 per cent for the last 54 days. Weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 0.88 per cent. It has been below 1 per cent for the last 13 days, according to the health ministry. Live BlogCoronavirus India Live Updates: PM Narendra Modi chairs meeting on Covid-19 situation in India; WHO declares new strain, named Omicron, a ‘variant of concern’; India reports 8,318 new Covid cases. Follow this space for the latest news and updates today Commercial international flights have been suspended in the country since March last year owing to the coronavirus pandemic. (File Photo) Explained: What we know about Omicron variant of Covid-19 so far On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, currently circulating in South Africa, as a ‘variant of concern’. It also named it Omicron. The Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA) had identified the variant on Monday. It had detected a group of related SARS-CoV-2 viruses, which belong to a lineage named B.1.1.529. Early indications are that this variant is possibly even more transmissible than the highly infectious Delta variant, and that current vaccines may be less effective against it. What we do know so far about Omicron? New variants continue to emerge as SARS-CoV-2 spreads, and the significance of each mutation becomes known after a period of time. But health authorities worldwide need to keep a constant watch to identify which ones are more important than others. It was as part of such an exercise that the NGS-SA detected B.1.1.529. From what is known currently, B.1.1.529 has multiple spike protein mutations, and preliminary analysis suggests it is highly infectious. South Africa has reported a four-fold increase in new cases over the last two weeks, coinciding with the emergence of B.1.1.529. On Thursday, the NGS-SA said B.1.1.529 has rapidly increased in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, and may already be present in most provinces. The NGS-SA has said the sustained increase in cases is possibly fuelled by cluster outbreaks. Overseas flights start December 15 but new Covid fears trigger an ‘at-risk’ list International scheduled commercial flights to and from India will resume December 15 onward after a 21-month ban, an order from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said Friday. While the move could potentially bring down fares on some high-volume flight routes, this comes at a time when international travel faces fresh uncertainty because of the new Covid-19 variant. The government also released a list of ‘at-risk’ countries, and the nature of resumption of international scheduled flights will depend on whether a country is present in this list. It includes countries in Europe including the UK, and South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong Kong and Israel. Passengers travelling from the countries in this list issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will have to undergo additional measures upon arrival in India, including post-arrival testing.