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As COVID-19 cases in India show an upward trend, children between the ages of 15 and 18 began receiving their coronavirus vaccine from Monday, 3 January.
According to Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, over 40 lakh children received their first dose of the vaccine on the first day of the enhanced vaccination drive till 8 PM.
Meanwhile, India reported 33,750 new COVID-19 cases and 123 deaths on Monday, 3 January. The country's active cases stand at 1,45,582.
A total of 1,700 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been detected across 23 states and Union territories in India so far, as per the latest data from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
With 510, Maharashtra has the most number of Omicron cases in the country
Delhi, with 351 cases, is followed by Kerala (156), Gujarat (136), and Tamil Nadu (121)
A number of states have announced COVID curbs in the light of the rise in cases.
Punjab reports 419 new cases, and active cases standat 1,741. Meanwhile, 3,071 children were administered the Covaxin on the first day of vaccination for children in the 15-18 age group.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has issued fresh guidelines for sealing, declaring that the whole building or a wing will be sealed if more than 20% of the occupied number of flats in the building or wing houses Covid-19 patients.
Further, home quarantine period of positive patients will end at ten days and home quarantine period of contacts of the patient, if tested negativem will end in 7 days.
West Bengal reported 6,078 new COVID cases, 2,917 recoveries, and 13 deaths on Monday. Of the fresh COVID-19 cases, 2,801 cases were reported in Kolkata alone.
Two inmates and six staff have tested positive for Covid-19 in different jails of Tihar. The last positive case detected was in July 2021, the prison officials have said.
According to a press release by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, 24x7 control rooms have been set up to provide all information regarding COVID-19 in all eight zones in the BBMP limits.
Maharashtra recorded 12,160 fresh cases and 11 deaths in the last 24 hours. Active cases presently stand at 52,422.
The Omicron case tally in the state touched 578 after Maharashtra recorded 68 new cases of the variant. Of the total, 259 patients have been discharged.
137 new Covid-19 cases, 37 recoveries and 1 death was recorded in Himachal Pradesh in the past 24 hours.
38 jawans of CRPF camp at Temelwada, Chintagufa in Chhattisgarh have tested positive for COVID-19 during antigen testing.
As per CMHO Sukma, all infected jawans are presently quarantined at the camp barracks.
Gujarat reports 1,259 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths in the last 24 hours. Active case stands at 5,858 and the total number of Omicron cases in the State is 152.
Tamil Nadu reports 1,728 new cases, 6 deaths and 662 recoveries. Active cases stand at 10,364.
Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated that over 40 lakh children between 15-18 age group received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on the first day of the enhanced vaccination drive till 8 PM.
Karnataka CM Basavaraja Bommai on Monday said, "a meeting with health experts on COVID-19 and Omicron will be held tomorrow. On Wednesday, issues related to COVID-19 will be discussed in the Cabinet, and further decisions will be taken."
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, tested negative for COVID-19 today, will be in isolation after a member of her family and one of her staff tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday.
Chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, or NTAGI Dr NK Arora told news organisation NDTV that metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata have a combined 75 per cent share of Omicron infections in the country.
Further, the NTAGI chairman declared that India was clearly witness the third wave of COVID-19, which is driven by the Omicron variant.
According to the CoWIN portal, 37,84,212 children of ages 15-17 years were inoculated till 7pm on the first day of COVID-19 vaccination for children.
West Bengal State Election Commission on Monday said that roadshows, bike rallies will be prohibited during campaigning for the municipal polls and 500 people will be allowed in an outdoor political rally.
The EC added, "only 5 people allowed for door-to-door campaigning. Political meetings at indoor locations allowed with 50% capacity."
Local train services in Kolkata will now to be extended up to 10pm in place of 7 pm from today, West Bengal government said, ANI reported.
Kerala detected 2,560 new cases, 30 deaths and 2,150 recoveries in the last 24 hours. Active cases in the state stand at 19,359.
As per the Mayor of Kolkata, Firhad Hakim, all schools are being approached to participate in the vaccination of children aged 15-18 years old.
"We have 37 vaccination centres where Covaxin is administered in the city," Hakim stated, ANI quoted.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel held a high-level emergency meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in the state, and urged all the districts to be on alert and take measures to contain the spread of the illness.
According to the Union Health Ministry, Delhi detected 4,099 new COVID-19 cases – 28% more than yesterday – and one death. Positivity rate increases to 6.46%.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday, 3 December said that the biometric attendance for government officials and employees will be suspended with immediate effect till further orders, as the country sees a surge in COVID-19 cases, ANI reported.
Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said that of the 2,000 passengers on board Cordelia cruise ship which came from Mumbai, 66 of those on onboard tested Covid positive.
Meanwhile, Goa detected four more cases of Omicron.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner IS Chahal, in an interview with NDTV, said that 91% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, and there are virtually no ICU cases of the virus.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain informs the Delhi Assembly that the surge in cases in the capital is due to the new variant. "Of the latest 187 Covid samples tested, 152 had Omicron," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
He has also blamed the Centre for not stopping international flights.
"Omicron came from outside India. Everyone knew it. Delhi government repeatedly asked Centre to stop flights but it denied," he said.
Film director and producer Ekta Kapoor has tested positive for COVID-19.
As per genome sequencing reports of 30-31 December, Omicron has been found in 84 percent of the COVID samples tested, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was quoted as saying PTI.
"Delhi's expected to report around 4,000 cases today with the positivity rate rising to 6.5 percent. Currently, 202 patients are admitted to Delhi hospitals," Jain said, reported ANI.
As per data on the CoWin website, over 12 lakh (12,69,338) children had received their first dose of the vaccine by 1 pm on Monday, the first day of the inoculation drive for those aged 15-18.
Vaccination for children and genome sequencing began in Bihar on Monday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said.
"Vaccination program for children between 15-18 years of age inaugurated in Bihar from Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, Patna. Genome sequencing started in the state from today. We'll have a meeting tomorrow to decide necessary actions to prevent COVID surge," Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.
Rs 1.15 crore were collected in penalty, and 45 FIRs were lodged for offences related to violation of COVID-19 norms in Delhi on Sunday, 2 January.
"There is no community spread (of Omicron variant) in Kerala. Out of 152 Omicron cases, 50 are from high-risk countries, 84 are from low-risk countries, and only 18 are their contacts. At present, there is nothing to worry about," Kerala Health Minister Veena George was quoted as saying by ANI.
"The world's largest vaccination campaign has started for children in the age group of 15 to 18 across the country from today. I thank Modi ji for giving our Young India the protection cover from coronavirus," Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in a tweet, sharing a video from the vaccination drive.
Telangana Congress president Revanth Reddy has tested positive for COVID-19.
"Omicron spreads fast but causes very mild disease. The virus has weakened. It is like viral fever but precautions are necessary. However, there is no need to panic," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was quoted as saying by ANI on Monday.
The chief minister also visited Lucknow's Civil Hospital on the first day of the vaccination programme for children.
India on Monday reported 33,750 fresh COVID cases, a significant jump from Sunday's 27,553 cases.
The country also reported 10,846 recoveries and 123 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The active cases stand at 1,45,582, while the death toll has risen to 4,81,893.
Meanwhile, 1,700 cases of Omicron have been reported in India so far. Of these, 639 have been discharged, recovered, or have migrated.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III has tested positive for COVID-19.
"I tested positive this morning for COVID-19. I requested the test today after exhibiting symptoms while at home on leave. My symptoms are mild, and I am following my physician’s directions," he said in a tweet.
Ten new cases of Omicron have been confirmed in Karnataka on Sunday taking the tally to 76, as per state health minister Dr Sudhakar K.
Bengaluru has reported eight cases of the new variant, (of which five are international travellers), while Dharwad has recorded two cases.
Actor John Abraham and his wife Priya Runchal have tested positive for COVID-19.
"We both are vaccinated and experiencing mild symptoms," Abraham said on Instagram.
The Supreme Court issued a circular on Sunday, 2 January, that it will switch to virtual hearings from Monday, 3 January for the next two weeks, in view of the rising cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in the country.
87 doctors of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital in Patna have tested positive for COVID-19.
"All of them are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms and are in isolation on the hospital campus," Patna DM Chandrashekhar Singh said on Sunday, reported ANI.
In a welcome move, vaccination for children in the age group 15-18 begins on Monday.
Over 8 lakh eligible teens had registered for the vaccine on the CoWin portal by Sunday night, as per news agency ANI.
Bharat Biotech's Covaxin will be administered to the children whose birth year is 2007 or later, as per guidelines released by the government.
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