India saw a single-day rise of 1,41,986 new coronavirus cases, raising the tally to 3,53,68,372, which includes 3,071 cases of Omicron variant.

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 updates:

Odisha

Orissa HC to function virtually from January 10

The Orissa High Court will function in the virtual mode from January 10 as coronavirus cases continue to spiral in the state.

The high court, subordinate courts and tribunals will function with 50% staff on a rotation basis on each working day till February 4 in accordance with the latest guidelines issued by the Odisha government.

In an order issued on Friday, the judicial registrar said that all the benches of the high court will only function through video conferencing during the period due to the increase in coronavirus cases and its Omicron variant.- PTI

West Bengal

Bengal minister Sujit Bose tests COVID positive for second time

West Bengal Fire Minister Sujit Bose has again tested positive for COVID-19, following which he has been placed under home isolation, a health official said on Saturday.

Mr. Bose, who had contracted the disease in May last year, tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time on Friday night, he said.

“The minister had exhibited COVID symptoms, following which he undertook the RT-PCR test, the result of which returned positive. His symptoms are mild, and he is in home isolation,” the official said.- PTI

Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand High Court suspends physical hearing after judge, 4 others test COVID positive

The Uttarakhand High Court has suspended physical hearings after a judge and four other employees of the court tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday, officials said.

Important matters will be heard virtually, according to a high court official.

Apart from the five, four Nainital residents also tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.  Although all the infected people are asymptomatic, they have been home quarantined and around 60 samples from the High Court sent for testing, he said.- PTI

Punjab

3 members of Punjab CM family test positive for COVID-19

Three family members of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi have tested positive for COVID-19, a senior health official said on Saturday.

However, the chief minister has tested negative for the infection.

Mohali civil surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur said Channi’s wife Kamaljit Kaur, his son Navjit Singh and daughter-in-law Simrandheer Kaur have tested positive for coronavirus.- PTI

New Delhi

Delhi likely to record 20,000 fresh COVID cases with positivity rate of 19%: Satyendar Jain

Delhi is likely to record around 20,000 COVID-19 cases on Saturday with a positivity rate of around 19%, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said.

He said till now there has been no Omicron variant-related death in the national capital.

Mr. Jain said most of the patients who succumbed to coronavirus infection on Thursday had comorbidities.

“The hospital admissions are lower this time and the severity of infection is lower as well. Delhi will see around 20,000 cases with a positivity rate of 19 per cent today,” he told reporters.-PTI

West Bengal

Bengal govt relaxes COVID curbs; allows salons, parlours to operate with 50% capacity

The West Bengal government Saturday relaxed its COVID-19 curbs in the state, allowing salons and beauty parlours to operate with 50% capacity till 10 pm.

An official order to this effect said the owners should ensure that the staff and customers are fully vaccinated and they follow all health protocols.

However, there was no clarification from when the order would be applicable.-PTI

National

Over 2 crore children in 15-18 age group vaccinated with first dose so far: Mandaviya

Over 2 crore teenagers in the age group of 15-18 years have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in less than a week of the inoculation drive being launched for children, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Saturday.

With the administration of more than 90 lakh (90,59,360) vaccine doses in the past 24 hours, the cumulative number in the country has exceeded 150.61 crore (150,61,92,903), according to provisional reports updated till 7.00 a.m.

“Great Going, my Young Friends. Over 2 crore youngsters between the 15-18 age group have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in less than a week of vaccination drive for children,” Mr. Mandaviya tweeted.- PTI

Uttarakhand

Poll-bound Uttarakhand bans political rallies till January 16

Political rallies, dharnas and demonstrations have been banned in poll-bound Uttarakhand till January 16 in view of the rising coronavirus cases, according to an official order.

In fresh guidelines issued late Friday night that come into effect from Sunday, Chief Secretary S.S. Sandhu said all political rallies, dharnas, demonstrations and public events like cultural gatherings etc will remain suspended in the state till January 16.

 

National

India reports 1,41,986 new COVID-19 cases, 285 deaths

India saw a single-day rise of 1,41,986 new coronavirus cases, raising the tally to 3,53,68,372, which includes 3,071 cases of Omicron variant reported across 27 states and union territories so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday.

Of the 3,071 cases of Omicron variant, 1,203 have recovered or migrated, according to the data updated by the ministry at 8 a.m.

Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 876 Omicron variant cases, followed by Delhi at 513, Karnataka 333, Rajasthan 291, Kerala 284 and Gujarat 204.- PTI

Tamil Nadu

Timings for Nilgiri district tourist spots revised

Due to raising COVID-19 cases in Niligiris, all tourist spots from today will allow entry of tourists from 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

Tourists seen in front of the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam on Saturday morning waiting to enter.

 

Chennai

A huge crowd thronged the Koyambedu Wholesale Market on Saturday, a day before full lockdown.

 

Chennai

Kasimedu fishing harbour witnessed a huge crowd early morning on Saturday, a day before the total lockdown, despite several restrictions being put in place.

Odisha

Odisha records 36.10% growth in COVID-19 cases in 24 hours

Odisha on Saturday reported 3,679 new COVID-19 cases registering a rise of 36.10% growth in 24 hours. As many as 2,703 persons were found to be infected by coronavirus on Friday.- Satyasundar Barik

National

‘No need for new registration for third precautionary dose’

The Health Ministry on Friday said there was no need for new registration for taking the third precautionary dose.

“Those who have taken two doses of COVID-19 vaccine can directly take an appointment or walk in to any vaccination centre,” the Ministry said.

It added that online appointment facility would also start by Saturday evening. Vaccination with on-site appointment starts on January 10.

National

Centre asks States to ensure oxygen supplies

It is the primary responsibility of States to ensure that oxygen equipment is kept functional for timely availability for patient care to meet any emergent situation, the Central government said on Friday following a review headed by Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

The Health Ministry added that ventilators are to be quickly installed and commissioned at the designated field health facilities. States and Union Territories were also advised to lodge any complaint related to ventilators in the online Complaint Management System which was launched on August 30, 2021.

International

Omicron spread due to mix of factors: WHO

The World Health Organization said Friday that the spread of Omicron was down to a combination of factors including the make-up of the Covid-19 variant and increased social mixing.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, said.

Firstly, its mutations allow the virus to adhere to human cells more easily.

“Second, is that we have what is called immune escape. And this means that people can be reinfected either… if they had a previous infection or if they’ve been vaccinated,” she said, in comments circulated by the WHO.

“The other reason is that we are seeing replication of Omicron in the upper respiratory tract — and that’s different from Delta and other variants, including the ancestral strain which replicated in the lower respiratory tract, in the lungs.”

But in addition to these factors, the spread of the virus was also being driven by the context of people mixing more, spending more time indoors in the northern hemisphere winter, and not adhering to measures such as physical distancing.- AFP

New Delhi

Delhi refuses to mask up as pandemic rages

As daily COVID-19 cases surge and infections shoot through the roof, non-compliance with protocol by Delhiites is playing no less a role in spiking the intensity of the wave in the Capital, government sources and doctors believe.

Largely immune to repeated government appeals, sensitisation campaigns, strict prosecution and advice from doctors citing its transmissibility, people are flouting the most basic of norms like wearing masks or wearing them properly.

National

NCPCR asks 4 States to step up children’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage

The apex child rights body NCPCR on Friday asked Punjab, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya to take immediate steps to increase the rate of COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 15-17 years as the collective rate of inoculation of kids in these states remained below 1.45 per cent.

In a letter to chief secretaries of these four states, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) said these states have shown poor performance in providing vaccination to children.

“It has observed by the Commission that in comparison to other states and national data of vaccination of children, your state has not made enough efforts in providing vaccination to the most vulnerable population of our country which might be putting them on a huge risk of life.- PTI

U.S.A.

U.S. FDA cuts gap for Moderna COVID-19 booster dose as cases surge

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday shortened the interval between the primary series of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine and a booster dose to five months, as it looks to bolster protection against the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

The agency expects the shorter interval, reduced by a month for people aged 18 and above, will provide better protection sooner against the variant, which is driving up infections and overwhelming hospitals.

The United States reported 662,000 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the fourth highest daily U.S. total ever recorded. The Omicron-driven surge in U.S. COVID-19 cases has likely not topped out yet, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.- Reuters

Haryana

Haryana postpones Surajkund crafts fair amid surge in COVID cases

The Haryana government has decided to reschedule the proposed ’35th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2022′, originally slated to be held from February 4 to 20, in view of the current COVID-19 situation, according to an official statement issued on Friday.

The state government has also taken the decision in view of the spread of the new coronavirus variant Omicron in the country. The announcement of the new date of the fair will be decided later after taking into account the Covid situation, the statement issued here said.- PTI