Coronavirus News Highlights: Kareena Kapoor Khan tests positive for COVID-19; India plans to produce 5 bn doses of vaccines next year

India plans to produce 5 billion doses of COVID vaccines next year: Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said India plans to produce 5 billion doses of COVID vaccines next year and keep contributing to make the world a safer place to live in. India, the world's largest producer of vaccines, has resumed the supply of COVID vaccines to other countries. It had suspended export of the COVID vaccines in April this year to focus on inoculating its own population following a sudden spike in coronavirus infections.

 Maha records 2 new cases of Omicron; count rises to 20

Maharashtra on Monday reported two new patients infected with the new Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the state health department said. With these two cases -- one from Latur and the other from Pune -- the tally of patients infected with the newly discovered variant of the coronavirus rose to 20

The residence of Kareena Kapoor Khan has been sealed. She has not given proper information yet but our officers are trying to find out that how many people did come in contact with her: BMC

FIR against Mumbai music concert organiser for violating COVID-19  norms

Police have registered an FIR against the organiser of singer AP Dhillon's live concert at a luxury hotel here for allegedly violating COVID-19 protocols, an official said on Monday, an action coming in the midst of growing concern over the new Omicron variant. The show was held at the hotel in suburban Santacruz (East) on Sunday.

 Aaditya Thackeray, Krishna Ella bat for booster dose for healthcare workers, immunocompromised

Aaditya Thackeray said the state has written to the Centre asking to allow booster doses for healthcare workers and immuno-compromised.

UK reports first Omicron death

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday the first patient had died after contracting the Omicron variant of the coronavirus

Scramble for booster vaccines as UK races to tackle Omicron

Long queues were seen outside walk-in vaccination centres across the UK on Monday as people queued for their booster vaccine doses, even as the government's work from home guidance came in force as part of measures to tackle the "tidal wave" of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

 Kareena Kapoor Khan and Amrita Arora have tested positive for COVID-19

Pakistan confirms first Omicron case

Pakistan's top anti-coronavirus body confirmed on Monday that the country's first Omicron variant has been detected in an unvaccinated woman through gene-sequencing. The confirmation made by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) came days after a 57-year-old woman in Karachi was suspected of getting infected by the new COVID-19 variant

178 new COVID-19 cases in Odisha

Odisha logged 178 more coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the tally to 10,51,752, while the two more fatalities pushed the death toll to 8,436, a Health Department bulletin said. Twelve out of 30 districts in the state did not report any new cases in the last 24 hours and 37 children were among those infected, it said. A patient each died in Khurda and Bargarh district. Fifty-three other COVID-19 patients have died due to comorbidities so far, according to official data. The state now has 1,898 active COVID-19 cases, while 10,41,365 people have recovered from the contagion, including 233 on Sunday, the bulletin said. Khurda district, of which the state capital Bhubaneswar is a part, reported the highest number of 85 cases, followed by 15 in Sambalpur. As many as 55,574 samples were tested on Sunday and the test positivity rate is 0.32 percent, it said. Nearly 2.84 crore people have been administered the first dose of coronavirus vaccine and more than 1.76 crore people have received both doses of the vaccine.

Andaman & Nicobar reports one new COVID-19 case

 

The union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported one new COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours, which took the tally to 7,698, a health department official said on Monday. The archipelago now has eight active COVID-19 cases and all the patients are in the South Andaman district. The other two districts North and Middle and Nicobar Islands are coronavirus free, he said. The COVID-19 death toll remained at 129 as no new fatality due to the infection was reported in the last 24 hours, the official said. A total of 7,561 people have so far recovered from COVID-19, he said. The union territory had reported one new COVID-19 case on Sunday. The administration has so far tested 6,45,188 samples for COVID-19 and the cumulative test positivity rate is 1.19 percent. A total of 5,74,691 beneficiaries have been inoculated with COVID-19 vaccine, of which 2,98,076 have received the first dose and 2,76,615 both doses of the vaccine, he added.

One-time financial of Rs 50,000 given to 21,235 families of COVID victims: Delhi Minister

 

The Delhi government has provided one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to 21,235 families that lost their near ones to COVID-19, Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam said on Monday. Separately, 9,484 of the 12,668 applications received have been approved for a monthly pension of Rs 2,500, he said. Under the "Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana", the Delhi government has been providing one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to the families of all the coronavirus victims in the city and monthly assistance of Rs 2,500 to households that have lost the sole breadwinner and for children orphaned due to the pandemic. "A total of 25,100 applications have been received for a one-time financial aid of Rs 50,000. So far, 21,235 families have been given the assistance," Gautam said.

Ethical cities could fix post-COVID-19 struggles
 

The post-pandemic recovery represents a unique opportunity for our cities to emerge more ethical, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient. A visible impact of the pandemic was on our cities. Restrictions imposed to control the virus hit the retail and hospitality sector hard. Shops were literally and figuratively shuttered. Bustling streets rendered still. Residents who could often move out of the city. Major global cities like Tokyo and London experienced a net loss in population during the pandemic. In the case of London, on average, escapees moved 35 miles away. Economists and business owners have reason to despair, but city dwellers wanting to get back to pre-pandemic life as quickly as possible should perhaps be careful what they wish for.

In its document on 'technical brief & priority actions for member states', WHO says Omicron appears to have a growth advantage over Delta variant. Therapeutic interventions are expected to remain effective, it says.

SC directs Centre to reply on plea seeking revival of vaccine PSUs to boost COVID-19 vaccination

 

The Supreme Court directed the Centre to file a reply on a plea seeking to revive the vaccine public sector units and utilise their full production capabilities by the placement of purchase orders. A bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna asked the Centre to respond to the plea within four weeks after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said notice is not needed in the matter as this would be in the domain of policy decision.  "We want to know what is the policy of the government... SG appears for Centre and states that a reply will be filed by four weeks. A rejoinder may be filed within three weeks thereafter. List the matter after the pleadings are complete," the bench said. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati also appeared for the Centre.