Breaking News HIGHLIGHTS: Maharashtra Reports 31 New Omicron Cases, Total Count In State Reaches 141
Breaking News LIVE, December 26, 2021: This LIVE Blog brings to you the latest breaking news of upcoming polls, details on Covid variant Omicron & other news around.
Chandigarh, Dec 26 (PTI) Two more people, including an 80-year-old man, were found to be infected with Omicron, taking the total cases of the latest variant of coronavirus reported in the city so far to three.
Of the three cases, two have been discharged and there is now only one active Omicron case in the city, according to an official statement.
It stated that samples of five family contacts of the previous Omicron positive case were sent for genome sequencing to the National Centre for Disease Control in Delhi.
Two of these were found to be positive for the Omicron variant, it said.
Of these two, the 80-year old male suffers from hypertension. However, he is asymptomatic and has been isolated in a hospital, the statement said.
It said the octogenarian was tested on December 24 and was found positive for the omicron variant. He will be re-tested on January 1, the statement said.
The other Omicron positive case was a 45-year-old man. He tested negative for coronavirus on December 24 and was discharged, it said.
Notably, a 20-year-old man who had come from Italy to meet his relatives had tested positive for Omicron on December 12. He was the first patient of the new COVID-19 variant in Chandigarh.
Following this, five of his relatives were tested. Two of them were found omicron positive while reports of genome sequencing of the remaining three persons were pending.
Kerala reports 19 more cases of Omicron, taking the total tally of the state to 57: Kerala Health Minister Veena George (ANI)
(PTI) Maharashtra reported as many as 31 new cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus on Sunday, taking the tally of such patients in the state to 141, the health department said.
Of these, Mumbai saw 27 cases, which raised the city's count of such cases to 73, it said in a statement.
All these cases were found through the screening at the Mumbai international airport. Four of the patients hail from Gujarat, three from Karnataka, two each from Kerala and Delhi, one each from Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and from other parts of Maharashtra - Jalgaon, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Aurangabad -, while two are foreign nationals, the department said.
In Thane, two cases were reported on Sunday, and one each in Pune rural and Akola, it said.
Of the total 141 Omicron patients detected so far in the state, 73 are in Mumbai, 19 in Pimpri Chinchwad (near Pune city), 16 in rural parts of Pune district, seven in Pune city, five each in Satara and Osmanabad, three in Thane city, two each in Kalyan Dombivli (Thane district), Nagpur and Aurangabad, and one each in Buldhana, Latur, Ahmednagar, Akola, Vasai-Virar (Palghar district), Navi Mumbai, Mira Bhayander (Thane district).
Out of these, 61 patients have been discharged after they tested negative in the RT-PCR test.
The statement said of the 31 new cases found on Sunday, 17 are men and 14 women.
Six of them are below the age of 18, while three are above 60. All have history of international travel, except one who is a high risk contact of an international traveller, the statement said.
Barring six minors, the remaining 23 are fully vaccinated, it said, adding that 29 are asymptomatic and two have mild symptoms.
All 25,744 travellers, who arrived in the state from at risk countries since December 1, have undergone RT-PCR test and 153 have tested positive for the infection.
There are 55 travellers from other countries who have been found infected. The report said through airport and field surveillance 737 samples have been sent for genomic sequencing. Results of 126 patients are awaited.
48 students & 3 staff of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Takli Dhokeshwar, Ahmednagar found positive for COVID-19 till now: Ahmednagar District Magistrate Rajendra Bhosale. (ANI)
PM Narendra Modi to visit Kanpur, UP on Dec 28 to address convocation ceremony of Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and inaugurate the completed section of Kanpur Metro Rail Project and the Bina-Panki Multiproduct Pipeline Project: Prime Minister's Office
New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday said that it grilled UP MLA from Bhadohi, Vijay Mishra, in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) case.
A team of elite officials of the ED reached Agra jail where Vijay Mishra is currently lodged to interrogate him.
According to information, the ED in February had lodged a PMLA case against Mishra and his alleged aides. A team of ED office from Prayagraj is looking into the matter.
Sources have claimed that Mishra was involved in money laundering and for this he took help of his friends. He also acquired huge movable and immovable assets.
Mishra was grilled about his movable and immovable assets. He was also grilled about his aides. A source said that they will send the information about his assets to Income Tax Department and other agencies for further investigation.
"We will also take the help of other agencies to know about his assets. He is hiding a lot of information. We did show him papers but he was trying to mislead us," said a source.
The ED said that soon they will initiate proceedings to attach his assets under section 5 of the PMLA.
Mishra has illegal properties in Prayagraj's Allapur, Handiya and Bhadohi, the probe agency said. The ED case is based on Police FIRs lodged against Mishra at different police stations. The ED is also gathering information about the assets of his family members.
Further probe in the matter is on.
Paying tributes to Desmond Tutu, South Africa's Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist for racial justice and LGBT rights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that he was a guiding light for countless people globally and his emphasis on human dignity and equality will be forever remembered.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the death of the 90-year-old Tutu earlier in the day.
Modi said, "Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was a guiding light for countless people globally. His emphasis on human dignity and equality will be forever remembered. I am deeply saddened by his demise, and extend my heartfelt condolences to all his admirers. May his soul rest in peace."
Himachal Pradesh reports the first case of Omicron. The person had returned from Canada on December 18. The patient's latest RTPCR is negative and her three close contacts have also tested negative: State Health Department
Madhya Pradesh | The cabinet has withdrawn its recently issued ordinance for conducting panchayat elections. The proposal has been sent to Governor: State Gov
Anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu has passed away: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
Odisha | Four new Omicron cases reported in the state, 4 foreign returnees (2 from Nigeria, 1 from UAE & 1 from Saudi Arabia) have tested positive for the Omicron variant of COVID19. The total number of Omicron cases stand at eight: Director Public Health Niranjan Mishra
China has reported 206 new COVID-19 cases, including 158 domestically transmitted ones, in a sudden spike ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics which will be held in February next year, the country's health commission said on Sunday.
Of the new local cases of coronavirus, 157 were reported in Shaanxi and one in Guangxi provinces, besides 48 imported cases, the National Health Commission (NHC) said.
The spike in cases ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has sparked concerns in the country as officials scampered to arrest the spread.
Though China has controlled the contagion by drastically limiting international travel, sporadic clusters of cases continued to surface in different parts of the country, putting its Zero case policy under stress.
Chinese officials reported a case of Omicron on December 13 in Tianjin city followed by a few more cases. However, there is not much information about its spread in the country.
The new Omicron variant that has come, our scientists are constantly studying it. They are getting new data every day, their suggestions are being worked on. In such a situation, self-awareness, self-discipline, the country has great power against this variant of Corona: Modi
Addressing this year's last 'Mann Ki Baat' episode of 2021, PM Modi said, " For me, Mann Ki Baat is not about highlighting the work of the Government, which could have been easily done. Instead, it is about collective efforts by grassroots level change-makers."
PM Modi remembers Capt. Varun Singh during his Mann Ki Baat Address.
Group Captain Varun Singh breathed his last at a military hospital in Bengaluru after surviving the helicopter crash that occurred on December 8 in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor. The air crash had killed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 personnel of the armed forces.
One terrorist affiliated with the banned terror outfit Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK) has been killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorists in the Srigufwara area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.
According to the Inspector-General of Kashmir police, the terrorist was involved in the killing of ASI Mohd Ashraf of Bijbehara Police Station.
The dead terrorist has been identified as Faheem Bhat, a resident of Kadipora area.
Seven new cases of Omicron variant have been confirmed in Karnataka taking the total cases to 38, State Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Saturday.
In a set of tweets, he said, "Seven new cases of Omicron variant have been confirmed in Karnataka on December 25."
According to him, those who tested positive were: a 76-year-old man from Bengaluru, who had travelled from Delhi, a 30-year-old woman from Bengaluru, who came from UAE, a 63-year-old man from Bengaluru who arrived from Zambia and a 54-year-old man from Bengaluru, who was a primary contact of a United Kingdom traveller.
He added that a 21-year-old man from Bengaluru who arrived from the UK, a 62-year-old man from Bengaluru, who came from Delhi, and a 15-year-old boy from Bengaluru who travelled from the USA have also been found infected.
Sudhakar said all primary and secondary contacts have been tracked, traced and tested.
An intern at Kolkata Medical College has tested positive for Omicron, raising the total number of people found to have got infected with the new variant of coronavirus to six, a senior official of the health department said.
Barring the medical intern, the rest have foreign travel history.
"So far, there are six cases of Omicron-variant in the state. All of them are male," the official said.
Three of the intern's contacts have been traced as yet.
"Since he is medical professional, he might have come in contact with patients. Without confirmation, however, we can't say anything for sure. We are looking into the matter," he said.
Meanwhile, West Bengal on Saturday reported four Covid-19 deaths, which took the toll to 19,711, the health department said in its bulletin.
Covid infections in France hit six figures Saturday, health officials recording 104,611 cases over the previous 24 hours, the third consecutive day the numbers have been record highs.
The latest figures, from France's public health agency, come ahead of a video-conference meeting Monday in which President Emmanuel Macron and key members of his government will discuss new Covid safety measures.
Officials are concerned about the effect of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
Already on Friday, the health authority recommended adults receive a booster jab three months after their initial vaccination.
Now the government is moving to make the health pass issued to the vaccinated valid only if people accept the booster jab.
The pass is required for access to cafes, restaurants and public spaces, as well as for international travel.
Singapore is reporting rising Omicron cases due to the rapid spread of the variant, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday, confirming 448 infections till date, of which 369 arrived here or were imported.
Ninety-eight new Omicron infections were confirmed on Saturday, comprising 73 imported cases and 25 local infections.
"Given its high transmissibility, it is a matter of time before the Omicron variant spreads in our community," cautioned the ministry.
"It is important for everyone to continue to play their part and remain vigilant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and to come forward to receive your vaccination or booster dose when offered," Channel News Asia quoted the ministry as saying.
Delhi's air quality deteriorates to the 'severe' category, with the city recording an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 430, according to SAFAR-India.
Gujarat | Six people including the principal, clerk, and peon of an Amreli-based college have been arrested in a case of leaking question paper of the third semester of BCom (Economics) programme of Saurashtra University: Manoharsinh Jadeja, DCP, Rajkot (Zone 2)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will, at 11am today, address the nation through his monthly Mann Ki Batt radio programme. The latest edition of Mann Ki Baat will be the last for the year, and 84th overall.
“Tomorrow at 11 AM! #,” the official Mann Ki Baat handle shared on Twitter, on Saturday.
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Breaking News LIVE, December 26, 2021: Hello and Welcome to the Daily Live Blog of ABP Live! We bring you the latest breaking news and updates from the day.
After announcing the vaccine for children and 'precaution dose' for the frontline workers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 84th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ today. This will be the final edition of the monthly radio programme for 2021."Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts in #MannKiBaat today at 11 AM," All India Radio News tweeted.
Gujarat on Friday reported 6 new Omicron cases, taking the state's tally of the new Covid variant to 49.
Alarmingly, the state also reported 179 fresh Covid cases and 2 deaths on Saturday against 34 recoveries, nearly double than the 98 new cases it had reported on Friday.
Of the 6 new Omicron cases, 3 were found in Kheda, 2 in Ahmedabad city and 1 in Rajkot. Majority of these cases had returned from the UK.
Of the 49 Omicron cases in Gujarat, Vadodara tops the chart with 17 cases, followed by Ahmedabad (11), Kheda (6), Anand (4), Jamnagar city and Mahesana (3 each), Surat (2), and Gandhinagar, Rajkot and Rajkot city (1 each).
The state's active Covid caseload presently stands at 837, as compared to Friday's 694.
Among the new cases reported on Sunday, Ahmedabad reported the most at 61, followed by Surat (20), Vadodara (14) and Rajkot (13), among others.
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