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India recorded 13,154 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours on Thursday, 30 December, taking the country's active caseload to 82,402, data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) indicated.
The total vaccine doses administered as of Thursday were 143.83 crore.
In view of the steep rise in the COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the Commissioner of Police, Greater Mumbai said that Section 144 has been imposed in the city starting from 30 December until 7 January 2022.
Tamil Nadu reported 890 COVID-19 cases and seven fatalities on Thursday. Infection tally rises to 27,46,890, while the death toll is at 36,765. The number of active cases stands at 6,929.
Goa reported 261 COVID-19 cases, one fatality on Thursday. Total infection tally rises to 1,80,660, while the death toll is at 3,521. The number of active cases stands at 856.
Bihar State Health Department reported the state's first confirmed case of Omicron variant of COVID-19 in a 26-year-old man in Patna's Kidwaipuri, ANI reported.
Maharashtra Minister Balasaheb Thorat has said that he has tested positive for COVID-19, reported ANI, on Thursday.
Delhi reported 1,313 new COVID cases and 423 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
Positivity rate has reached 1.73 percent, while active cases stand at 3,081. Meanwhile, total recoveries is at 14,18,227.
The state government has decided to temporarily and until further orders suspend all direct flights from UK to Kolkata with effect from third Jan 2022.
Further all passengers coming from non-address countries by international flights to the state will have to go undergo a test on arrival at their cost.
Maharashtra reported 5,368 new COVID cases, 1,193 recoveries, and 22 deaths today, taking active cases to 18,217.
Meanwhile, the number of Omicron cases has risen to 450, with the state recording 198 cases of the variant today.
Asking Delhi residents to be careful, Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain said on Thursday that residents of Delhi need not panic because of Omicron, but asserted the importance of wearing face masks and following social distancing.
Delhi Government will also open COVID Care Centres at Terapanth Bhawan, Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre, Commonwealth Games Village Akshardham, and IBIS Hotel.
He further informed that 54 percent of the COVID-19 cases in Delhi are infected with the Omicron variant.
West Bengal reported 2,128 new COVID cases, 1,067 recoveries, and 12 deaths on Thursday. Active cases stand at 8,776, while 16,06,501 total recoveries have happened.
Meanwhile, Kolkata reported a 101.85 percent spike as its daily case count more than doubled to 1,090 from 540 reported on Wednesday.
Gujarat reported 573 new COVID cases, 102 recoveries, and two deaths in the last 24 hours, as per State Health Department. Meanwhile, total Omicron cases in the state stand at 97.
Mumbai reported 3,671 new COVID cases and 371 recoveries on Thursday, taking active cases to 11,360. Out of the total cases in the city, Dharavi has recorded 20 cases, the highest since 18 May.
Andhra Pradesh reported 130 COVID-19 cases and one fatality on Thursday. Infection tally has risen to 20,76,979, while the death toll is at 14,493. Number of active cases stand at 1,081.
Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel said on Thursday, that the state government has identified 35 lakhs children who fall in the age group of 15-18 and is planning a campaign to vaccinate them against COVID-19 with Covaxin, starting 3 January.
Kerala reported 2,423 new COVID cases, 2,879 recoveries, and 15 deaths on Thursday. Total active cases stand at 19,835.
Luv Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said on Thursday, "Approximately 90 percent of the adult population in India has been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the first dose."
He further informed, "The weekly positivity rate of more than 10 percent is being noted in 8 districts including 6 districts from Mizoram, one from Arunachal Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal. The weekly case positivity rate is between 5-10 percent in 14 districts."
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan writes to Delhi, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka & Jharkhand, advises the states to enhance COVID-19 testing, strengthen hospital-level preparedness, increase pace and coverage of vaccination.
Over 4,300 violations related to COVID-appropriate behaviour took place in Delhi on Wednesday, 29 December, news agency PTI reported, citing official figures.
Out of the total 4,392 violations, 4,248 were related to the wearing of a face masks, 83 to social distancing protocol, and 60 to spitting in public places.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government collected over Rs 86 lakh in fines on Wednesday, over violation of COVID-19 protocols, following the enforcement of 'Yellow alert' restrictions in the state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that COVID-19 cases in Kolkata are rising as the state is a transit point for people travelling on trains and flights, reports PTI.
"Centre must decide on imposing restrictions on flights from countries where omicron cases are high," she said.
Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will chair a virtual meeting of the COVID-19 Task Force today, news agency ANI reported.
Dr Suresh Kumar, the MD at LNJP in Delhi, has said that a total of 70 Omicron patients have been admitted to LNJP till 30 December, out of which 50 patients have been discharged.
"Most of the patients are asymptomatic; only 4 out of the 70 patients had a mild fever, throat infection, weakness, loose motion," Kumar added, ANI reported.
In Delhi Police's first case of Omicron, a senior police officer, who had gone to London to extradite an alleged international drug supplier, tested positive for the variant, NDTV reported.
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has said that people with no travel history have been found infected with Omicron. "It means it's gradually spreading in community," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
Meanwhile, he said that out of the 200 COVID cases in Delhi hospitals, 102 people belonged to the city, whereas 98 were from outside.
"Of 200 Covid cases in Delhi hospitals, including international travellers, 115 (are) asymptomatic, (have been) kept in hospitals as (a) precautionary step," he added.
Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain has said that 46% of the total COVID19 cases in Delhi are of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as per the latest genome sequencing report.
"UP has three Omicron patients till now, 2 in Ghaziabad, 1 in Raebareli. Out of 115 genome sequencing samples, 112 were of Delta variant. But, we need to be careful and stay alert. Delhi NCR areas have already started witnessing an increase in COVID-19 cases," UP ACS Health Amit Mohan Prasad was quoted as saying by ANI.
Uttar Pradesh ACS Health Amit Mohan Prasad announced that the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 will be extended for a period three months, till March 31, 2022, in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Delhi and Maharashtra, topping the number of Omicron cases in the country, recorded 263 and 252 cases of Omicron, respectively.
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