Covid LIVE: Maharashtra reports 11 new cases of Omicron, tally rises to 65

Union Health Ministry writes to states regarding measures that need to be taken in view of initial signs of surge in Covid cases

Live News: The government on Tuesday introduced in the Lok Sabha a Bill that proposes to increase the marriage age for women to 21, sparking protests by Opposition parties.

Union minister Smriti Irani urged the chair to refer the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021 to a parliamentary panel. Speaking separately in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra defended raising the age bar.

"Daughters too want to learn and progress, so the government is trying increase the minimum age for them to marry. The government decision to raise women's marriage age to 21 is causing pain to some,” said Modi in a BJP rally in Prayagraj.

 As many as 200 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been found in 12 states and UTs, said the Health Ministry on Tuesday, adding that the country’s daily increase in total Covid-19 cases was the slowest in almost 20 months.

As many as 77 Omicron patients have recovered or migrated. Maharashtra and Delhi have reported the highest number of cases of the new variant -- 54. They are followed by Telangana (20 cases), Karnataka (19), Rajasthan (18), Kerala (15) and Gujarat (14). 

11:19 PM

No evidence to suggest existing vaccines don't work on Omicron: Govt

There is no evidence to suggest that existing Covid vaccines do not work on the Omicron variant, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

 

"While there is no evidence to suggest that existing vaccines do not work on Omicron, some of the mutations reported on spike gene may decrease the efficacy of existing vaccines," he told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

 

Responding to a question on whether the vaccines being administered in the country are effective to develop immunity against the Omicron variant, he informed the house that there is limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron. However, vaccine protection is also by antibodies as well as by cellular immunity, which is expected to be relatively better preserved.

10:16 PM

Maharashtra reports 11 new Omicron cases, tally reaches 65

Maharashtra on Tuesday reported 11 new infections of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, taking the tally of such cases in the state to 65, the health department said here. As reported by the National Institute of Virology, 11 more patients have been found to be infected by Omicron," it said in a release.

Eight cases came to light following screening at the Mumbai airport while one case each was found at Pimpri-Chinchwad, Osmanabad and Navi Mumbai, the release added. Of the eight cases detected in Mumbai, one each is from Kerala, Gujarat and neighbouring Thane district, while other patients are residents of Mumbai itself. Two of these patients had arrived from Uganda (via Dubai), four from the UK and two from Dubai.

Two of them are minor. Barring the two under-18 patients, others are vaccinated, and all eight are either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, the health department added. The 13-year-old daughter of an Omicron-infected patient from Osmanabad in central Maharashtra was also found to be infected by the new variant. She has no symptoms, the release said.

 

Elsewhere, a 19-year-old man from Navi Mumbai who had arrived from Kenya via Hyderabad tested positive for Omicron. He is fully vaccinated and has no symptoms, officials said.

10:03 PM

Three Omicron cases confirmed in Jammu

Three cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been found in J&K's Jammu city, it was announced on Tuesday. Samples for Omicron confirmation had been sent by the health department authorities to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi from where positive reports were received on Tuesday.

 

"Three omicron cases confirmed by NCDC Delhi from a cluster in Jammu.

 

"Sample were taken on November 30. RTPCR testing of entire locality ordered. Please observe Covid Appropriate Behaviour," the Health and Medical Education Department said in a tweet.

9:40 PM

21 fresh Covid cases, one more death in Rajasthan

Rajasthan on Tuesday recorded 21 fresh COVID-19 cases and one more death, according to an official report.

 

With this, the total caseload increased to 9,55,273 and the death toll climbed to 8,961, the report stated.

 

Of the fresh cases, nine were reported from Jaipur, four from Jaisalmer, three from Ajmer, and one each from Sri Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Pratapgarh and Udaipur, it said.

 

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Rajasthan stands at 217, it said.                                             

9:18 PM

Maharashtra govt to give Rs 31.92 cr compensation to kin of 6,385 Covid victims

The Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued an order to disburse Rs 31.92 crore to 6,385 applicants whose kin succumbed to COVID-19.

 

The order, issued by the state department for disaster management, said Rs 50,000 cash will be transferred.

 

Over 1 lakh COVID-19 patients have died in Maharashtra since the pandemic began in March last year.

9:10 PM

Two omicron cases detected in Odisha

At least two people in Odisha have tested positive for the omicron variant of COVID-19, the first cases of the latest version of coronavirus in the state, officials said on Tuesday.

 

Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) confirmed the existence of the variant in the two patients after conducting the genome sequencing of 12 samples. Both of them have travel history to foreign nations - Nigeria and Qatar, they said.

 

The returnee from the African country is fully vaccinated, and is stable in hospital, Cuttack District COVID-19 Nodal Officer Umesh Ray said. All his contacts have tested negative, he added. The other patient is also stable in hospital.

8:55 PM

Maharashtra reports 825 new Covid cases

8:36 PM

Three cases of Omicron variant confirmed from a locality in Jammu

8:17 PM

Maharashtra reports 11 new cases of Omicron, tally rises to 65

7:45 PM

Omicron is at least 3 times more transmissible than Delta, says govt

7:28 PM

Omicron variant is milder than Delta in terms of severity, a few patients didn't even get fever: Experts

6:20 PM

TMC RS MP Derek O'Brien suspended from rest of winter session

5:42 PM

Total number of Omicron cases in Delhi rises to 54

The total number of cases of new Omicron variant of COVID-19 recorded in the national capital has mounted to 54, according to data shared by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday.

 

Some details related to 45 of these cases in Delhi have been shared by authorities, but details on the remaining nine cases are awaited.

4:43 PM

'No recommendation' by GST Council to bring petroleum products under new tax regime

The GST Council has not recommended bringing petroleum products under the reformed taxation regime, Parliament was told Tuesday. Excise duty on petroleum products is calibrated periodically for generating resources for infrastructure and other developmental items of expenditure, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, according to PTI.

4:05 PM

Lok Sabha sends 2 Bills to standing committees

Lok Sabha on Tuesday sent two bills, including the proposed law to increase the minimum age of marriage for women to 21 years from 18, to standing committees amid continuous protests by opposition parties over a number of issues which marred its proceedings and cut it short. The House also sent the bill to amend the Chartered Accountants Act, the Cost and Works Accountants Act and the Company Secretaries Act to the departmental standing committee, PTI reported.