Kerala’s Omicron tally at 57, night curfew imposed from Dec 30

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With the Centre giving various states the freedom to take a call on the manner in which night curfew is introduced in the wake of Omicron variant threat, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday announced imposition of night curfew from December 30 to January 2.

The immediate trigger for this, even as the state’s Omicron tally stands at 57, was to contain the upcoming New Year festivities and as a result on all these days, everyone should be indoors latest by 10 p.m., and till 5 a.m., and curbs on all sorts of unwanted travel will be strictly enforced.

All shops and establishments including clubs, bars, hotels and restaurants have to down their shutters latest by 10 p.m. on all the four days.

The curbs would be applicable to beaches also, Vijayan said in a statement, following a high-level meeting where the decisions were taken.

He said 98 per cent of the above aged 18 years population have taken the first dose of Covid vaccine, and 77 per cent have taken both the doses.

“Starting from January 3, children in the age group 15 to 17 will be given Covid vaccine, likewise health workers and those aged above 60 years having co-morbidities will be given the booster dose,” said Vijayan and added that the health system in the state is fully geared to meet any eventualities, even in case if a third wave happens.

Eight Omicron cases reported in MP

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Indore in Madhya Pradesh has reported as many as eight cases of Omicron infections, the state health said on Monday.

Of the eight cases, three had returned from the United States, two each from the United Kingdom and Tanzania, and one from Ghana.

This is the first time that the Madhya Pradesh government has officially confirmed the presence of Omicron cases in the state. “Eight Omicron cases have been found in Indore. Out of these, six have recovered and have been discharged while two are undergoing treatment, Narottam Mishra, the state government’s spokesman said.

He said around 3,000 people recently returned to Indore from abroad and 26 of them were found to be infected with the Coronavirus. “Omicron was confirmed in the genome sequencing of eight of these people,” he said.

The samples of these people, who returned to the state’s industrial hub Indore from different countries, were taken between December 17 and 21, according to officials.

Those infected includ two men aged 20 and 30 years, who came from New York (US) on December 14 and 19 respectively, a 23-year-old woman who arrived from London (UK) on December 14, two women aged 33 and 26 who returned from Tanzania (east Africa) on December 19, a 33-year-old woman who returned from Ghana (west Africa) on December 17, and two men aged 26 and 31 years, who arrived from Dubai on December 13 and 18 respectively, they said.

Night curfew has been imposed in the state between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. since December 23. Taking into consideration the Covid situation, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has stated that more restrictions are likely in coming days.

India reports 6,531 new Covid cases, Omicron tally rises to 578

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India registered 6,531 new Covid cases and 315 deaths in a span of 24 hours, and the Omicron infection tally has reached 578, said the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Monday.

Out of the total Omicron positive cases, 151 have been discharged from the various hospitals they were admitted to. So far 19 states have reported the Omicron cases, the Union health ministry said.

The recovery of 7,141 patients in the last 24 hours has increased the cumulative tally to 3,42,37,495. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.40 per cent, highest since March 2020.

India’s active caseload is presently at 75,841. Active cases constitute 0.22 per cent of the country’s total positive cases, which is the lowest since March 2020.

Also in the same period, a total of 7,52,935 tests were conducted across the country. India has so far conducted over 67.29 crore cumulative tests.

Meanwhile, the weekly positivity rate at 0.63 per cent has remained less than 1 per cent for the last 43 days now.

The daily positivity rate stands at 0.87 per cent, which has also remained below 2 per cent for the last 84 days and less than 3 per cent for 119 consecutive days now.

With the administration of 29,93,283 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s Covid inoculation coverage has reached 141.70 crore as of Monday morning.

New Covid cases more than triple in LA

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The spike in single-day Covid-19 cases in Los Angeles County, the most populous in the US, more than tripled that the past few days, according to data released by local public health authorities.

The Los Angeles County Public Health Department reported 9,988 new cases on Christmas Eve, a record daily high in 11 months in the county with over 10 million residents, which recorded 3,052 new cases on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Department also reported 21 additional deaths, bringing the county’s accumulative caseload and death toll to 1,595,239 and 27,533, respectively.

There are 801 people currently hospitalised with Covid-19 in the county.

The average daily rate of people testing positive for the virus increased to 15 per cent as of Friday, according to the Department.

Local public health officials warned earlier this week that the county is seeing “one of the steepest rises” over the course of the pandemic, which reflected the accelerated circulation of the Omicron variant.

The Department urged people to get vaccinated or receive a booster as new cases continue to surge.

Warning holiday travelling or gathering may pose risks, the department advises people to wear masks indoors and in crowded places outdoors and get tested if feeling sick or getting exposed.

7,189 new Covid cases in India

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India’s total Covid-19 caseload increased to 3,47,79,815 on Saturday after 7,189 fresh cases, of which 415 them were of the Omicron variant, were reported in the past 24 hrs, data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) showed.

Meanwhile, 387 Covid-19 deaths and 7,286 recoveries increased the respective overall tallies to 4,79,520 and 3,42,23,263.

The daily active cases have declined to 484.

As far as the Omicron variant is concerned, Maharashtra has the highest number of cases with 108, followed by Delhi with 79, Gujarat 43, Telangana 38, Kerala 37 and Tamil Nadu 34.

On Friday, the Centre had announced that 358 cases of Omicron were reported in the 24 hrs, of which 183 were analysed. Of these, 91 were found to be fully vaccinated with three having received booster doses while 70 per cent were asymptomatic.

Since Friday, a total 66,09,113 people got vaccinated, pushing the cumulative figure of doses to 1,41,01,26,404.

To curb the rise in Covid-19 cases amid the emergence of new variant, the Centre has deployed multi-disciplinary teams to 10 states which are reporting an increase in the number of infections or slow vaccination pace.

As per the government notice, these teams will be deployed in Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Mizoram, Karnataka, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Punjab and for three to five days working with the state health authorities.

Thailand records 1st cluster of Omicron variant of Covid-19

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Thailand reported its first cluster of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 in the northeastern Kalasin province, health officials has said.

According to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), there are 22 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant linked to the Kalasin cluster, Xinhua news agency reported.

The index case of the latest cluster was believed to be a couple who travelled from Belgium through Thailand’s quarantine free scheme and tested positive with the Omicron variant earlier this month, CCSA spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangsan said.

Since their arrival, the couple visited several places including bars, shopping malls and state offices in the province, Apisamai said, adding that around 100 people were still deemed at high risk due to their close contact with the patients.

According to officials, the total cases of the Omicron variant in Thailand had risen to 205 as of Thursday night.

Fears of rapid spreading of the new variant had triggered Bangkok city hall to announce the cancellation of its New Year countdown events on Thursday.

Since the start of the pandemic early last year, Thailand has registered 2,204,672 Covid-19 cases, with 21,528 cumulative deaths.

AP reports 2 more Omicron cases, tally reaches 4

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Andhra Pradesh reported two new Omicron cases on Friday, increasing the state’s tally to four.

The variant was detected in two international travellers who arrived last week, according to health officials said.

After landing at Vijayawada, a 41-year-old woman, who arrived from Kuwait on December 19, left for Nedunuru Pedapalem village in East Godavari district.

A health official said the woman had tested positive for Covid and her sample was sent to Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad for genome sequencing, after which she was confirmed to be infected with Omicron.

In the second case, a 33-year-old man, who arrived in Visakhapatnam from the UAE on December 15, was admitted to a hospital with mild fever and was found to be infected with Covid. His sample was also sent to the CCMB where genome sequencing, where it was confirmed it to be a case of Omicron.

Health officials said both the patients were placed in institutional quarantine and were under close observation and Director of public health Dr G. Hymavathi said they were both doing well.

On Wednesday, a 39-year-old female foreign traveller, who came from Kenya on December 10, was found positive for Omicron.

The state had reported the first Omicron case on December 12. A 34-year-old man, who returned from Ireland late last month, had tested positive for the new variant, health officials said.

So far, a total of 45 foreign travellers and nine contacts have been found Covid positive and all the samples were sent to CCMB for genome sequencing.

Omicron threat: Google, Intel not to attend ‘CES 2022’ in-person

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Google and Intel have joined the growing list of tech companies who have decided not to attend the ‘CES 2022’ in-person in Las Vegas, as Omicron cases have continued to surge.

While Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the governing body on CES, plans to go ahead with the show, several tech companies like Lenovo, T-Mobile, AT&T, Meta, Twitter, Amazon, TikTok, Pinterest, Alphabet-owned Waymo, along with several media outlets, will not attend the consumer electronics show.

“After careful consideration, we have decided to withhold from having a presence on the show floor of CES 2022. We’ve been closely monitoring the development of the Omicron variant, and have decided that this is the best choice for the health and safety of our teams,” a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying in media reports late on Thursday.

For the last several years, Google’s outdoor exhibits have been a mainstay in the Las Vegas Convention Centre.

The CTA told TechCrunch that over 2,200 companies are confirmed to participate in-person at ‘CES 2022’ in Las Vegas.

“Our focus remains on convening the tech industry and giving those who cannot attend in person the ability to experience the magic of CES digitally. We are confident that attendees and exhibitors can have a socially distanced but worthwhile and productive event in Las Vegas, or while experiencing it online,” the organiser said in a statement.

In an earlier tweet, Lenovo had said: “After closely monitoring the current trends surrounding Covid, it is in the best interest of the health and safety of our employees, customers, partners, and our communities to suspend all on-site activity in Las Vegas.

“While this is a change in plans, we are excited for you all to see our latest technology launching as scheduled on January 4 and January 5.”

T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert, one of the CES 2022’s featured speakers, announced that his company won’t be attending the world’s largest electronics show next month.

The world’s most influential tech event is slated to showcase some first-time innovations around Blockchain-based non-fungible tokens (NFTs), remote health solutions, self-driving cars, gaming, food and space tech.

Italy tightens rules for holiday season as Omicron cases rise

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The Italian government has tightened anti-Covid-19 rules for the Christmas and New Year holidays amid concerns over rising cases of the new Omicron variant across the country.

The cabinet on Thursday unanimously approved a decree to introduce new restrictions which will enter into force in the next few days, including prohibiting public gatherings for Christmas and the New Year’s Eve, reports Xinhua news agency.

The step came after several mayors and regional authorities had cancelled all public events in the festivities.

According to the new rule, discos and nightclubs have to stay closed until January 31, 2022.

The validity of the health green pass certificate is reduced from nine months to six months in order to stem the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant, Health Minister Roberto Speranza told reporters here.

The decree also cuts from five months to four months the required time between the completion of full vaccination (two doses) and the administration of a booster dose.

“This is a difficult phase and we are implementing measures that we think will provide further protection to citizens and to our public health system,” the Minister said.

Face masks are required in every outdoor place, plus to use only FFP2 masks — those providing more protection — on public transports and public indoor places.

According to earlier restrictions imposed on December 6, only those vaccinated and recovered, who hold the so-called “super Green Pass” would be allowed to sit at restaurants and bars, theatres, discos, stadiums and other sports facilities.

Yet, the rapid increase in new cases combined with the year-end holidays prompted authorities to move further on.

The new restrictions were decided after the National Health Institute (ISS) on Thursday shared with the cabinet the results of a preliminary survey on the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

According to data based on some 2,000 swabs carried out on December 20, Omicron represented 28 per cent of new infections.

“Although preliminary, the estimate confirms the great rapidity of the variant spread, which seems to produce large outbreaks in a short time, and it is expected to become predominate, as it is already occurring in several other European countries,” ISS president Silvio Brusaferro said in a statement.

Italy has seen an increase in new infections and deaths, yet the daily caseload has so far remained below that of some other major European countries.

Nonetheless, the surge is significant, with over 44,500 new infections over the 24 hours on Thursday, which marked the highest daily increase since the beginning of the pandemic here.

As of Friday, the country’s overall caseload and death toll stood at 5,517,054 and 136,245.

University of Oxford study supports use of Vaxzevria as third dose against Omicron

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AstraZeneca’s Vaxzevria [Recombinant] significantly boosted levels of antibodies against the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant following a third dose booster, according to data from a new laboratory study.

Neutralisation titres for Omicron were boosted following a third dose with Vaxzevria compared to titres after a second dose.

The levels seen after the third dose booster were higher than the neutralising antibodies found in individuals who had been previously infected with and recovered naturally from Covid-19 (Alpha, Beta, Delta variants and original strain).

Sera obtained from individuals one month after receiving the third dose booster vaccination neutralised the Omicron variant to levels that were broadly similar to those observed one month after the second dose against the Delta variant.

Two doses of Vaxzevria have been associated with protection against the Delta variant in real world studies.

The study analysed blood samples taken from individuals infected with Covid-19; those who had been vaccinated with a two-dose schedule and a third dose booster; and those who had reported previous infection from other Covid-19 variants of concern. The study included samples from 41 individuals who had received three doses of Vaxzevria.

The study was performed independently by investigators at the University of Oxford and the findings were posted online on the bioRxiv pre print server.

Professor Sir John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK and one of the study investigators, said: “It is very encouraging to see that current vaccines have the potential to protect against Omicron following a third dose booster. These results support the use of third dose boosters as part of national vaccine strategies, especially to limit the spread of variants of concern, including Omicron.”

Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca said: “Vaxzevria plays an important role in vaccination programmes around the world and these data give us confidence that the vaccine should be given as a third dose booster. It is also important to look beyond antibodies to better understand how vaccines offer protection against Omicron. As we better understand Omicron, we believe we will find that T-cell response provides durable protection against severe disease and hospitalisations.”

Data from another laboratory study support Vaxzevria’s effect against Omicron, with individuals vaccinated with two doses of Vaxzevria retaining neutralising activity against Omicron, although a decrease was seen compared to the original strain.

In other studies, Vaxzevria has been shown to generate a diverse and durable T-cell response to multiple variants resulting in a broader response than antibodies alone, which could contribute to protection against Covid-19.

AstraZeneca is collecting real world evidence evaluating the effectiveness against the Omicron variant with academic groups in the southern African region. AstraZeneca is also analysing blood samples from participants in the Company’s Phase II/III trial to evaluate neutralising activity when given as a third dose booster against Omicron for both Vaxzevria and its investigational next generation Covid vaccine, AZD2816. Data from these studies are expected soon.

Currently available data against variants of concern, excluding Omicron, support the use of a third booster with Vaxzevria as part of a homologous or heterologous schedule.

A sub analysis from the COV001 and COV002 trials demonstrated that a third dose of Vaxzevria given at least six months after a second dose boosted antibody levels six-fold and maintained T cell response.

A third dose also resulted in higher neutralising activity against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, compared with a two-dose regimen. In the trial, the third dose of Vaxzevria was less reactogenic than the first dose.

In addition, the COV-BOOST trial showed that a third dose booster of Vaxzevria induced significantly higher immune responses compared with controls against the Delta variant and original strain following a primary vaccine series of Vaxzevria or Pfizer BioNtech.