Even as the everyday Covid-19 cases remain to spike speedily, the Centre on Monday said only five to 10 percent of the active Covid cases this time required hospitalization so far. Nevertheless, the condition is lively and may transform quickly, it further added. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a letter to states and Union territories, that throughout the second wave, the percentage of active cases needful hospital care was in the range of 20 to 30%.
The country on Monday started controlling the third ‘precautionary dose’ to precedence groups health care and frontline workers and those aged over 60 years with comorbidities. Conferring to the Centre’s guidelines, the third dose will be of the same vaccine as the first two jabs and will be given to those who were vaccinated nine months ago.
In other news, Kerala has abridged the number of attendees at weddings and funerals to a maximum of 50 people, after a summit led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. A government announcement said that it was also decided that reunions, ceremonies, and general social, political, cultural, and community events should be conducted online, except in crucial circumstances.
Meanwhile, India on Monday recorded 1,79,723 fresh Covid-19 cases, pushing the active caseload to 7,23,619. The day-to-day positivity rate mounted at 13.29 percent, while 146 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.
Government of India’s top medical body on Omicron Variant
- Contacts of COVID-19 patients, except recognized as high-risk, don’t need to be tested, the government’s top medical body said today in a new advisory.
- Asymptomatic individuals in community settings, patients who stand settled as per home isolation guidelines, also patients discharged from a COVID-19 facility and individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel need not be tested, said the Indian Council of Medical Research or ICMR.
- Those with cough, fever, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, breathlessness, and other respiratory symptoms individuals should be tested, said the body.
- Also, international travelers arriving at Indian airports, seaports, and ports are to be tested, it said.
- No emergency process like surgeries and deliveries should be delayed for lack of a test, said the medical body.
- Patients should not be referred to other facilities for deficiency of a testing facility.
Highlights of Omicron Covid cases
- UP reports 8,334 fresh Covid-19 cases, 4 deaths in the last 24 hours.
- Haryana reports 5,736 new cases in the last 24 hours. The daily positivity rate rises to 14.9%
- Rajasthan govt caps charge of RAT (Rapid Antigen Test) in private labs at Rs 50 (inclusive of all taxes).
- Tamil Nadu govt extends lockdown restrictions till January 31, people not to be allowed in all places of worship between January 14-18, special inter-district buses for Pongal to run at 75% capacity.
- Over 9 lakh healthcare, frontline workers, and comorbid people aged 60 and above receive third Covid jab as the country began administering ‘precautionary’ dose of vaccine against the infection.
To get regular updates on Omicron variant COVID 19 keep visiting our website.
