With 17 more cases of Omircon being reported across India nine persons in Jaipur, seven in Pune and a 37-year-old fully vaccinated man who arrived in Delhi from Tanzania — the total number of cases has risen to 21.

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You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.

Here are the latest developments:

National

Active COVID-19 cases in country lowest in 552 days

With 8,306 people testing positive for coronavirus infection in a day, India’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,46,41,561, while the active cases declined to 98,416, the lowest in 552 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The death toll climbed to 4,73,537 with 211 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 10,000 for ten straight days and less than 50,000 for 162 consecutive days now.

The active cases comrpise 0.28% of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.35%, the ministry said. -PTI

International

Omicron has higher risk of reinfection than Delta and Beta variants: Singapore’s health ministry

Singapore’s Ministry of Health has said that early clinical observations globally suggest that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may be more transmissible and have a higher risk of reinfection compared to the Delta and Beta variants of the virus.

“This means that there is a higher likelihood of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 to be reinfected with the Omicron variant,” Channel News Asia quoted the ministry as saying on Sunday in an update on the Omicron variant. -PTI

International

Anthony Fauci says early reports encouraging about Omicron variant

United States health officials said that while the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading throughout the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than Delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalisations.

President Joe Biden’s Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told CNN’s “State of the Union” on December 5 that scientists need more information before drawing conclusion’s about Omicron’s severity.

Assam

Assam govt issues fresh SOP as new COVID variant cases increase in country

The Assam government on Sunday issued a new SOP, including mandatory RT-PCR test on arrival, for international travellers, amid rising number of cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country.

The fresh standard operating procedure made 7-day home quarantine compulsory for those who test negative for the coronavirus infection. The new SOP has been formulated on the basis of the protocol for international travellers prepared by the Centre, State Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said in a statement. -PTI

Belgium

Protest against coronavirus restrictions turns violent in Brussels

Police fired teargas and used water cannons on Sunday to disperse protesters pelting officers with cobblestones and fireworks as a demonstration in Brussels over government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions turned violent.

A few thousand protesters marched peacefully through the centre of the Belgian capital to the neighbourhood which hosts the headquarters of European Union institutions, where the demonstration reached its end point. -Reuters

Tamil Nadu

Passengers arriving at city airport asked to book COVID test slots online

The Chennai airport has advised all passengers arriving from countries categorised as “at risk” to book in advance their slots online for Rapid PCR and RT-PCR test.

A senior airport official said incoming passengers had been unable to book in advance slots for Rapid PCR as well as RT-PCR test because of a glitch in the booking site.

Tamil Nadu

COVID-19 war room in Vellore, nearby districts on high alert

With Collectors holding detailed discussions with senior health officials on Sunday, COVID-19 war rooms in Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet and Tirupattur are on high alert to tackle emergencies that can arise due to the Omicron variant of Coronavirus.

Vellore Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian inspected the war room, set up in the Vellore City Corporation building, on Sunday and instructed health officials on preparedness measures that need to be taken. At present, 50 international fliers have landed in Vellore from the Chennai airport. Despite having a negative test result on the infection, health officials were instructed by the Collector to home quarantine the international fliers, mostly from Chennai, for seven days.

Telangana

Thirty-nine medical students test positive

Around 39 medical students of Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Sciences (CAIMS) at Bommakal in Karimnagar rural mandal have tested positive for COVID-19, apparently following the college’s annual day fest held on the college premises over a week ago.

Some staff members of the college have also reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.