The Indian SARS-COV-2 genome consortium (INSACOG), which confirmed the presence of the Omicron variant, in an advisory made public on Thursday, has recommended that boosters (or third doses) “be considered” in those above 40.

India has confirmed two cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus in Karnataka. One is a 66-year-old South African national and the second, a 46-year-old Indian doctor from Bengaluru. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S. Bommai on Thursday said he will discuss the matter in a high-level meeting in Bengaluru on Friday and take the next course of action.

Editorial | Limited gains: On Omicron risk

Zydus Cadila’s COVID-19 vaccine ZyCoV-D will be initially introduced in seven States including Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, said Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Thursday. These States have been asked to identify the districts with high number of the first dose left out, for introduction of the vaccine.

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 increase to 99,976

With 9,216 coronavirus infections being reported in a day, the country’s total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,46,15,757, while the active cases increased to 99,976, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.

The death toll climbed to 4,70,115  with 391 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The daily rise  in new coronavirus infections has been less than 50,000 for 159 consecutive days now.

The active cases comprise 0.29% 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

Nepal

Nepal to ban arrivals from 8 African countries, Hong Kong over Omicron fears

Nepal will ban the entry of travellers who have been in eight African countries or Hong Kong, to curb the spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, a government spokesman said on Friday.

The ban, which goes into effect at midnight on Friday, covers people who have been in or transiting through South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi and Hong Kong. -Reuters

Karnataka

Omicron may have been in Karnataka much earlier: Experts

With one of the two persons in Bengaluru who have been detected with the Omicron variant having no travel history, COVID-19 experts here said that the variant could have been introduced to Karnataka much earlier.

Sources said the 46-year-old anaesthetist from a Government hospital in South Bengaluru, who did not have any travel history, had attended a two-day cardiology conference that was held at a five-star hotel near the Chief Minister’s home office from November 19.

 

Tamil Nadu

Man on flight from Singapore tests positive, isolated in Tiruchi

A 56-year-old man who landed at the Tiruchi International Airport early on Friday morning tested COVID-19 positive and has been isolated. His test samples would be sent for genome sequencing to identify the variant of virus.

The patient’s samples will be sent to Chennai where genome sequencing would be done to determine the variant. -T.N. Bureau

Karnataka

South African man left hotel for Dubai before genome sequencing results

The city and State health machinery is on high alert after two persons tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus in Bengaluru. The authorities have no clear answer as to how one of the patients, a 66-year-old African national who was isolated in a hotel on November 20, was allowed to fly to Dubai on November 27.

 

Karnataka

Schools to function as usual

Amidst fears of the Omicron strain of the coronavirus spreading after two cases were reported in Bengaluru, the Department of Public Instruction on Thursday stated that schools will continue as usual for now.

R. Vishal, Commissioner for Public Instruction, said they would follow whatever the Technical Advisory Committee advises. “We are keeping a close watch on schools and taking all precautionary measures. We believe the benefit of conducting offline classes for students has been immense,” he said.

 

USA

New U.S. COVID-19 international travel testing rules take effect Monday

New rules requiring international air travelers arriving in the United States to obtain a negative COVID-19 test within one day of travel will take effect Monday at 12-01 a.m. ET (0501 GMT), U.S. officials confirmed Thursday.

Under current rules, vaccinated international air travelers can present a negative test result obtained within three days of their day of departure. Unvaccinated travelers currently must get a negative COVID-19 test within one day of departure. -Reuters

International

WHO deploys team in South Africa to tackle Omicron variant

The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed a team of officials to South Africa’s Gauteng province, the epicentre of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, for ramping up surveillance measures and contact tracing efforts as the country grapples with rising infections, an official said on Thursday.

Some 11,500 new infections were registered in the latest daily figures, a sharp rise from the 8,500 cases confirmed the previous day. -PTI

Singapore

Singapore says 2 travellers from South Africa tested “preliminarily positive” for Omicron

Two travellers from South Africa have tested “preliminarily positive” for the Omicron variant of COVID-19 after landing in Singapore, the Ministry of Health has said.

Two passengers who arrived in Singapore from South Africa on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ479 have tested “preliminarily positive” for the Omicron variant on Wednesday, the MOH here said on Thursday. -PTI

Germany

Germany locks unvaccinated out of public life

Unvaccinated people across Germany will soon be excluded from nonessential stores, restaurants and sports and cultural venues, Chancellor Angela Merkel announced Thursday, and parliament will consider a general vaccine mandate as part of efforts to curb coronavirus infections.

Ms. Merkel announced the measures after a meeting with federal and state leaders, as the nation again topped 70,000 newly confirmed cases in a 24-hour period. She said the steps were necessary to address concerns that hospitals could become overloaded with patients suffering from COVID-19 infections, which are much more likely to be serious in people who have not been vaccinated.

 

National

Vigilance, genome sequencing, border surveillance and vaccination key things against Omicron: Expert

A member of the Maharashtra government’s COVID-19 task force on Thursday said that vigilance, genome sequencing, improving border surveillance and vaccination are some of the things that are necessary to tackle the new Omicron variant of coronavirus.

The task force member, Dr Vasant Nagvekar, who is a consultant on infectious diseases at a city-based hospital, said in a statement that although there was no need to panic, the Omicron variant is definitely a cause of concern. -PTI

Spain | Zimbabwe

Spain and Zimbabwe detect first domestic cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant

Regional authorities in Madrid said on Thursday they had detected Spain’s first domestic case of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in a vaccinated person without links to risk countries, and were investigating two other similar suspected cases. It was the fourth confirmed case of the variant in Spain, but the first proving that Omicron is already circulating in the country.

Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the health minister, says the southern African country has recorded the omicron variant, making it the fifth African country to report its presence after Botswana, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria. -Reuters, AP

Maharashtra

Five more travellers from ‘at risk’ countries test COVID-19 positive in Mumbai; nine so far

Five more persons, who arrived in Mumbai from ‘at risk countries’ tested positive for COVID-19 infection on Thursday amid concerns over the new Omicron variant of the virus, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials said.

The civic body’s additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said the number such travellers who have tested positive on arrival in the city and who are suspected to have been infected with the Omicron variant, increased to nine. -PTI

Dadra and Nagar Haveli |  Daman and Diu

Night curfew in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu till December 31

A night curfew has been imposed in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus in view of the concerns over the new Omicron variant of the virus, an official said on Thursday.

Starting Thursday, the night curfew will be force between 11 pm and 6 am till December 31, said the order issued by the Health and Family Welfare department of the Union Territory administration. -PTI

Canada

Canada confirms first Covid cases in wildlife

Canada has confirmed its first cases of coronavirus in wildlife — in three white-tailed deer.

The National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease said the samples were collected in early November from the free-ranging animals in the Estrie region of Quebec along the border with the United States.

“Similar to findings in the United States, the deer showed no evidence of clinical signs of disease, and were all apparently healthy,” the agency said in a statement late Wednesday. -AFP

Andhra Pradesh

School children in A.P. to be given homoeo medicine under ‘Project Amrut’

The preventive homoeo medicine, ‘Arsenicum Album 30 C’, prescribed by the Ayush Ministry has been effective in tackling the COVID-19 infection, according to V. Ramulu, Commissioner, State Ayush Department.

Mr. Ramulu was speaking after inaugurating ‘Project Amrut’ at KSR ZP Girls High School here.

Under the programme being supported by Vidhu Foundation, an NGO, the medicine would be distributed to the students and teachers in the government educational institutions in the State.

 

Sport

Cricket South Africa postpones domestic fixtures due to COVID-19, adds to uncertainty around India series

Cricket South Africa has postponed a round of domestic games after some of the team members tested COVID-19 positive on arrival, raising fresh concerns for the India tour later this month.

The BCCI will soon take a call on the tour, which is scheduled to begin with the first Test in Johannesburg from December 17.

 

Maharashtra

Maharashtra issues guidelines for air passengers

In the wake of the confusion over the different set of guidelines for air passengers arriving in Maharashtra by the State Government and the Centre, the former on Thursday issued a set of guidelines clarifying all domestic passengers coming to the State will either have to be fully vaccinated or should carry RTPCR test certificate showing negative result within 72 hours before boarding.

The State Government categorised South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe as the “high risk countries” adding that it is a dynamic exercise based on the evolving situation of the Omicron variant and hence will be updated as required by the State Government. The State has directed authorities to follow guidelines for other countries as specified by the Centre.