Covid India News LIVE Updates: UP CM Yogi Adityanath directs state government and private offices to operate at 50% capacity

by
India logged 1,79,723 new cases in the last 24 hours, 12.6% higher than yesterday. This has brought the total caseload to 3,57,07,727. As many as 146 deaths were reported in the country over the last 24 hours, taking the total reported death toll to 4,83,936. The top five states that logged maximum cases are Maharashtra with 44,388 cases, followed by West Bengal with 24,287 cases, Delhi with 22,751 cases, Tamil Nadu with 12,895 cases and Karnataka with 12,000 cases. Maximum deaths were reported in Kerala (44), followed by West Bengal with 18 daily deaths.

Top headlines of the day:

  • Myanmar’s Suu Kyi sentenced to 4 more years in prison
  • US Covid caseload tops 60 million
  • 400 Parliament staff test positive for Covid
  • India administering COVID-19 vaccine ‘precaution’ dose today
  • Omicron sibling BA.1 rapidly replacing Delta, says Insacog

!1 New UpdateClick here for latest updates

Schools in Nepal to remain closed till January end, says its Education Ministry

Impact of different types of mask on Covid-19

I am absolutely fit: India captain Virat Kohli ahead of third Test against South Africa

Congress MP KC Venugopal writes to President Ram Nath Kovind accusing Kerala Governor & State Govt of dragging the President’s office into their “political disputations” involving Kerala Univerity VC

Uttarakhand | Section 144 has been imposed in Chamoli district from 8th January in order to conduct the Assembly elections in a peaceful manner, says District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana

Myanmar: Deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to four years in prison

Tamil Nadu Govt issues SOP for Jallikattu events, allows only 150 spectators or 50% of seating capacity (whichever is less)

National Commission for Women chairperson writes to Twitter India “to immediately block actor Siddharth’s tweet on shuttler Saina Nehwal, calls it “misogynist and outrageous.”

Around 1000 Delhi Police personnel, including Public Relations Officer and Additional Commissioner Chinmoy Biswal have tested positive for COVID19. All infected personnel are under quarantine: Delhi Police

Delhi | COVID cases rising for last 8-9 days (nationally); cases in Delhi, Mumbai almost 4-5 times more. Hopefully, a sharp decline will be there in peak as we saw in South Africa when cases soared suddenly & then declined: Dr Sandeep Nayar, HOD, Respiratory diseases BLK Hospital

Kerala | CM Pinarayi Vijayan following a COVID-19 review meeting has decided to limit the no. of people who can attend weddings and funerals to a maximum of 50.

  • Dept of Health & Education must ensure that vaccination of those in 15-18 age group is completed this week.

Congress CEC meeting for Uttar Pradesh at 7 pm today.

No time limit set on the operationalisation of Covid Vaccination Centres. The session timings subject to demand & requirement at a particular CVC. Timings of CVCs is flexible and can be up to 10pm in the night: Dr Manohar Agnani, Additional Secy, Ministry of Health to States/UTs

DDMA meeting over COVID situation in the National Capital concludes

  • Restaurant dine-in service likely to be discontinued amid surge, take-away to continue: Sources

In view of rising COVID19 cases, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has decided to close 67 SAI Training Centers across the country. The decision also comes in the wake of directives issued by various States to suspend sporting activities for the safety of athletes.

Philippines logs record 33,169 daily COVID-19 infections

  • The Philippines’ health ministry on Monday reported 33,169 new coronavirus cases, marking the third straight day of record-high infections.
  • In a bulletin, it said total cases had reached almost three million, while deaths were at 52,293, after confirming 145 more fatalities on Monday. The rising number of infections risked overwhelming the healthcare system, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosiario Vergeire told ANC news channel, calling on symptomatic people to immediately isolate and get tested.

PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate 11 new government medical colleges across Tamil Nadu and the new campus of Central Institute of Classical Tamil, Chennai, on 12th January, video conferencing: PMO

  • Tamil Nadu | The new medical colleges are being established at an estimated cost of about Rs 4000 crore, out of which around Rs 2145 crore has been provided by the Union government and rest by the Tamil Nadu government: Prime Minister’s Office

FIR has been registered against 30 people for violating Covid-19 protocols. Ramanagara district administration has taken action as per the law. We will not spare anybody who violates the law: Karnataka Home minister Araga Jnanendra on Congress’ Mekedatu padayatra

Citi downgrades FY22 GDP to 9% on slower economic momentum in Q3 and Omicron uncertainty

DGP Chandigarh, NIA IG, Registrar General of Punjab & Haryana HC may be part of proposed panel to probe security breach during PM’s visit: CJI

Bengaluru | This shows his culture; he is not bothered about the health of other people also: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Congress leader DK Shivakumar refusing COVID19 test

SC agrees to set up a high-level committee headed by a retired SC judge to inquire into security lapses during PM’s visit to Punjab on January 5

  • Supreme Court asserts, “Yes there is a breach and Punjab govt has admitted as well. The question is if an inquiry is held, what will be its scope. If you want to take disciplinary action against officers what remains for this court to look into?”

Retired Supreme Court judge will hold enquiry into alleged lapse in PM’s security

Novak Djokovic wins court case, Australian judge orders release from detention, reports AFP

Visuals: Jammu & Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha takes COVID vaccine ‘precautionary dose’

PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate the 25th National Youth Festival virtually on 12th January 2022 – at 10:30 am

37 new Covid-19 cases in Arunachal, tally rises to 55,558

  • Arunachal Pradesh’s Covid-19 tally rose to 55,558 on Monday as 37 more people tested positive for the infection, 22 less than the previous day, a senior health official said. The death toll remained unchanged at 282 as no fresh fatality was registered in the last 24 hours, he said.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to meet health ministers, officials from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, and Maharashtra at 3:30 pm today to discuss COVID-situation in these states.

2 lakh people employed during second quarter – July-Sep 21: Labour Ministry in its quarterly Employment Survey (QES) report

PM security breach matter in Supreme Court | Punjab govt says 7 show-cause notices issued to the state officers as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against them. Please appoint an independent committee, and give us a fair hearing, adds Punjab govt

  • PM security breach | Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, tells Supreme Court that showcause notices were issued to DG & Punjab Chief Secretary before the proceedings of Central govt’s Committee was halted. No hearing done by the committee appointed, he says

I’ve resigned both from the Goa cabinet and as MLA. In Goa BJP, I don’t see Manohar Parrikar’s legacy being taken forward, those party workers who supported him have been sidelined by BJP

– Michael Lobo

Novak Djokovic wins fresh deportation delay, reports AFP

  • An Australian judge has agreed to delay any effort to deport tennis star Novak Djokovic to late Monday, as his court case continues in Melbourne.
  • With minutes to go before a previous court order expired, Djokovic won another temporary reprieve from Judge Anthony Kelly, this time until 8pm local time (0900 GMT) on Monday.
  • Government lawyers had earlier indicated they would be willing to delay the deportation order, which is hanging over the 34-year-old Serbian as he seeks to remain in Australia.
  • Djokovic jetted into Australia last Wednesday hoping to defend his Australian Open crown and seal an unprecedented 21st Grand Slam title.
  • Instead of a champion’s welcome, he was questioned at the airport overnight before having his visa revoked and being transferred to a Melbourne immigration detention facility pending deportation.

Supreme Court agrees to hear a petition seeking an independent inquiry into the Haridwar ‘Dharm Sansad’ speeches allegedly inciting violence against minority community

  • Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing in the PIL, mentions the matter before a Bench headed by CJI NV Ramana that the slogan of the country seems to have changed from ‘Satyameva Jayate’ to ‘Shasatrameva jayate’.

I’ve resigned as Goa minister; hope people of Calangute constituency will respect my decision. I’ll also resign as MLA,will see what step to take next. I’m in talks with other political parties. I was upset with the way we’re looked at and party workers are unhappy: Michael Lobo, BJP

Currently, there are 33,900 active cases in the state. 90% of these patients are asymptomatic, under home isolation. Integrated Covid Control Centre in every District keeps in touch with COVID19 patients and provides them with medical kits

– Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath

China detects more Omicron cases as cities tighten restrictions

  • China reported more cases of the highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant on Monday, with authorities on high alert over flare-ups in major cities just weeks ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
  • The emergence of the fast-spreading variant is yet another test of China’s zero Covid strategy, with authorities already battling several outbreaks — including in Xi’an where 13 million city residents were in their third week of lockdown.
  • Fears grew about a cluster of infections in the northern city of Tianjin, which was linked to two Omicron cases reported Monday in the city of Anyang around 400 kilometres (250 miles) away.

Myanmar court sentences ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to 4 more years in prison, reports AP

Visuals: Delhi begins administering COVID-19 vaccine ‘precautionary dose’ to frontline workers and senior citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities

We’re one of the leading States in vaccination of children in the country. As of now, the cases are on a rising trend but hospitalisations are less. We are adding 50,000 beds to the existing 1.5 lakh hospital beds in the State

– J Radhakrishnan Tamil Nadu Health Secretary

Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 1,216 Omicron cases, followed by Rajasthan 529, Delhi 513, Karnataka 441, Kerala 333 and Gujarat 236.

Parliamentary standing committee meetings cancelled after 400 staffers test Covid positive

  • After over 400 Parliament staffers tested positive for Covid-19 during random testing and with the rise in the cases in the national capital, the meetings of several parliamentary committees have been cancelled.
  • Sources said that the meeting of parliamentary standing committees on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice Chairperson, Urban Development, and Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology have decided to cancel their meetings on Monday.
  • Decision to call off the meeting of the standing committee of External Affairs, scheduled later this week is likely to be taken later in the day.
  • Earlier, also during the peak of Covid in the first and second wave, meetings of the standing committees had been called off. Several members have demanded to call a virtual meeting of the standing committee.

Noted Kannada writer Prof. Chandrashekar Patil, also known as ‘Champa’, passed away today morning

Reports ANI

Visuals: Tamil Nadu begins administering COVID19 vaccine ‘Precaution dose’ to frontline workers and senior citizens above 60 years of age with co-morbidities

COVID-19 | India reports 1,79,723 fresh cases & 146 deaths in the last 24 hours

  • Active case tally reaches 7,23,619. Daily Positivity rate at 13.29%
  • Omicron case tally at 4,033

India’s active caseload currently stands at 7,23,619

13,52,717 samples for Covid were tested on 9 January: Health ministry

US Covid caseload tops 60 million

  • As the world is battling another wave of the Covid-19 pandemic fuelled by the new Omicron variant, the US, currently the worst-hit country, has registered more than 60 million cases as of Monday, making up for about 20 per cent of the global infection tally, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
  • In its latest update on Monday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the country’s overall caseload and the death toll stood at 60,072,321 and 837,594, respectively, while the total number of vaccine doses administered has increased to 516,880,436.
  • The US’ Covid-19 fatalities, also the highest in the world, makies up for more than 15 per cent of the global death toll.

Supreme Court to hear a plea today over a court-monitored probe into the breach of PM Narendra Modi’s security during his visit to Ferozepur, Punjab on Jan 5

Reminder messages through SMS have been sent to more than one crore healthcare and frontline workers and citizens over 60 years of age for their Precaution Covid-19 vaccine Doses: Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tests negative for COVID-19

  • US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has tested negative for COVID-19, and will be resuming office on Monday (local time).
  • Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has tested negative for COVID-19 after having contracted the virus earlier this month, said Defense Department spokesperson John Kirby, reported Sputnik.
  • “Pleased to note that @SecDef tested negative today for COVID and will be returning to the office tomorrow. He’s grateful for the vaccines, which rendered less severe the effects of the virus,” Kirby said on Twitter.
  • Austin announced on Twitter on January 2 that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and was showing mild symptoms, reported Sputnik.

Covid-19 infected about 60 million in the US: Johns Hopkins University

  • The total number of Covid-19 cases in the United States surpassed 60 million on Sunday and has killed at least 837,594 people in the US since January 2020, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. The United States remains the nation most impacted by the pandemic, with the world’s most cases and deaths, making up around 20 per cent of the global caseload. It also accounts for more than 15 per cent of global mortality.

Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) is presently at 53 (overall) in the ‘ Satisfactory’ category, as per System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India

Maharashtra | A level-2 fire broke out in a wooden godown near Mustafa Bazar in the Byculla area of Mumbai. 8 fire brigades reached on the spot to control the fire; no casualties reported so far: Mumbai Fire Brigade

Over 300 Delhi Police personnel, including the Public Relations Officer (PRO) & Additional Commissioner Chinmoy Biswal, test Covid-19 positive: Delhi Police

India to begin administering COVID-19 vaccine ‘precaution dose’ to 60+ age group, healthcare, frontline workers from today

  • The administration of ‘precaution dose’ of COVID-19 vaccine to healthcare, frontline workers and those above 60 years in the country is set to begin on Monday.
  • The online registration for ‘precaution dose’ on the Co-WIN platform began on Friday (January 8). All HCWs, FLWs and citizens aged 60 years or above with comorbidities will be able to access the vaccination for precaution dose through their existing Co-WIN account. The precaution dose can only be taken after 9 months i.e., 39 weeks from the date of administration of 2nd dose.
  • The Ministry of Health and Welfare has recommended that precaution dose for healthcare workers, frontline workers and senior citizens with co-morbidities will be the same as given previously. It had also informed that the senior citizens with co-morbidities will not be required to produce a doctor’s certificate or prescription at the time of administration of the precaution dose.

Healthcare & frontline workers, & those above 60 years of age with comorbidities, will benefit from the booster dose rollout starting Jan 10, as shown by data & studies. Booster doses are important as we’re already into the third wave: Dr. Nikhil Modi, Pulmonologist, Apollo Hospital

Ahead of Budget session, over 400 Parliament staff test positive for Covid

  • After over 400 staffers working with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats and from allied services tested positive for Covid-19 in the last few days, the Rajya Sabha secretariat has put several restrictions including on employees’ attendance. According to sources, 65 staffers of Rajya Sabha Secretariat, 200 of Lok Sabha Secretariat and 133 of allied services have tested positive for Covid-19 during last week.

India to begin administering Covid-19 vaccine ‘precaution dose’ to 60+ age group, healthcare, frontline workers from today

Omicron sibling BA.1 rapidly replacing Delta, says Insacog

  • Scientists at the Department of Biotechnology’s Insacog (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) working on genome sequencing of Covid-positive clinical samples have said that along with the original Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant, its sibling (sub-lineage) BA.1 is dominantly co-circulating and rapidly replacing the Delta variant in Maharashtra and some other states.

.

Leave a Comment