Page 5 - Coronavirus Tests

Private hospitals hesitate to procure Covid-19 vaccine amidst JN.1 surge

Executives reveal depleted vaccine stocks and express the need for government guidelines before initiating procurement

Covid-positive samples sent for genome sequencing in Delhi as cases spike

The Delhi government has sent COVID-19 positive samples to laboratories for genome sequencing, officials said on Tuesday. Sixty-three cases of Covid sub-variant JN.1 were reported in the country till Sunday, including 34 in Goa, official sources said. Nine cases have been detected in Maharashtra, eight in Karnataka, six in Kerala, four in Tamil Nadu and two in Telangana, they added. "Delhi is witnessing three-four (Covid) cases every day, which means the positivity rate is less than 1 per cent. The samples of the positive patients have been sent for genome sequencing," an official said. He said the samples have been sent to the genome-sequencing laboratories at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) hospital and Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS). Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Monday that the national capital is recording three-four Covid cases on an average every day and asserted that the city is well equipped to fight the virus resurgence. "We had a meet

Delhi seeing 3-4 Covid cases every day: State health minister Bharadwaj

Delhi Health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday said that the national capital is seeing three to four Covid cases on average every day and asserted that the city is well equipped to fight the virus resurgence. Sixty-three cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 had been reported in the country till Sunday, including 34 in Goa, official sources said on Monday. Nine cases have been detected in Maharashtra, eight in Karnataka, six in Kerala, four in Tamil Nadu, and two in Telangana, they added. "There was a meeting with the Centre over COVID-19 situation and we were informed that the cases are increasing more in southern states like Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu," Bharadwaj told reporters on the sidelines of an event. "We have been conducting tests and we have receiving on an average three to four cases per day which is less than even one per cent. We have conducted mock drills and made all necessary arrangements," he said. States have been asked to monitor and report district-wise

63 JN.1 variant cases detected in India, as active cases cross 4,000

India reported one death and 312 fresh cases, taking the number of active cases in the country to 4,054, according to data updated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare till Monday morning

Covid-19 update: In biggest single-day spike, India registers 628 cases

JN.1 Covid-19 variant: In India, cases of the new JN.1 Covid-19 variant has been found in Rajasthan, Goa and Maharashtra. The total cases of the new variant currently stands at 26

India records 628 fresh Covid cases in a day, active caseload at 4,054

India recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload jumped to 4,054, according to Union Health Ministry data. The total fatalities were recorded at 5,33,334 (5.33 lakh) with one new death reported from Kerala in the previous 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. The country's Covid case tally is currently at 4,50,09,248 (4.50 crore). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has risen to 4,44,71,860 (4.44 crore) while the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry website. The case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry website, 220.67 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered.

Surprise inspection of Delhi hospitals begins as new Covid variant surges

Covid cases registered a rise in the country towards the end of 2023 with sub-variant JN.1 on the radar while the Delhi government planned to step up genome surveillance to tackle the issue going forward. As the new threat looms on the horizon with an uptick in Covid cases amid the festive season, doctors in Delhi have advised people to wear masks, avoid gatherings and maintain a healthy diet. The devastating third wave of the Covid pandemic driven by the Omicron variant had resulted in a record surge of infections in Delhi in early 2022, and the second one driven by the Delta variant had wreaked havoc in the national capital, as at other places, in 2021. The fresh threat, as there was one early 2023, has only proven many experts right that "Covid is not out of the world yet". Both the Centre and the Delhi government are alert and have planned a way forward to tackle any situation. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on December 20 told PTI that oxygen cylinders, ventilator be

Kerala records 128 new Covid-19 infections, one death in last 24 hours

Kerala reported 128 fresh COVID-19 infections and one death due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Sunday. Of the 334 active coronavirus infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 128 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 3,000, as per the website. With one death reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,063. The number of people who were cured, discharged, or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 296. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,38,282 till date. On Tuesday, Health Minister Veena George reassured the people of the state that despite the rise in COVID cases in Kerala, there is no cause for alarm. The hospitals are adequately equipped to manage virus infections, she said.

India logs 656 new Covid-19 infections; active cases rise to 3,742

India saw a single-day rise of 656 Covid infections while the active cases have increased to 3,742, according to Union health ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll was recorded at 5,33,333 with one new death reported from Kerala in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. The country's Covid case tally is 4.50 crore (4,50,08,620). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,71,545, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far.

2 fresh Covid-19 cases detected in Gurugram, active cases rise to four

The number of active Covid cases in Gurugram district reached four after two more instances of the infection was detected, the health department said on Saturday. District Surveillance Officer Dr Jai Prakash Rajliwal said a 36-year-old man who had returned from Indonesia got tested for Covid due to sore throat, cold and cough and was found infected. Apart from this, a 32-year-old woman was also found Covid infected but the health department did not find any travel history of the woman, he added. On the other hand, the health department collected samples from 102 people on Saturday and sent those for testing, officials said. An official of the health department said that between December 18 and 23, the Health Department collected samples of more than 200 people for testing. Of them, three women and one man were found infected. As the patients have mild symptoms of Covid, all have been kept in home isolation, the official said.

752 Covid cases, 4 deaths reported in 24 hours, highest rise since May

India saw a single-day rise of 752 coronavirus infections, the highest since May 21, 2023, while the active cases have increased to 3,420, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll was recorded at 5,33,332 with four new deaths -- two from Kerala, one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka -- reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am stated. The country's Covid case tally stood at 4.50 crore (4,50,07,964). The number of people recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,44,71,212, and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. The ministry's website stated that 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far.

Number of new Covid cases increased 52% globally in past one month: WHO

The number of new deaths decreased by 8 per cent as compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported, World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest press release

Will Covid sub-variant JN.1 bring mask mandates? Here's what experts say

Health experts suggest that people should consider wearing masks, especially in public places, to contain the spread of the new variant of Covid-19, JN.1

3 persons, including a 6-month baby, test positive for Covid-19 in Bengal

Three persons including a six-month-old baby tested positive for COVID-19 in West Bengal, officials said on Friday. However, it was yet to be ascertained whether the trio were infected by the new JN.1 strain of COVID-19, they said. The child, a resident of neighbouring Bihar, is undergoing treatment at the Medical College and Hospital Kolkata (MCHK) while the other two are admitted at two separate private hospitals, they said. "These were suffering from high fever, cough and cold. and underwent RT-PCR and tested positive for COVID-19," the officer of the private hospital said. When contacted a senior official of the West Bengal Health Department said that they were "keeping a tab" on this. "The state health department never said that COVID-19 has been eradicated. We have to realise that this is going to stay. As of now, we have not come across any such case. However, our department is very much vigilant," the official told PTI. The state health department will continue its ...

Amid rising Covid-19 cases, govt not planning mask mandate or vaccine shots

On Thursday, India reported 358 new cases of Covid-19, of which 300 cases were from Kerala; Insacog said no traces of widespread infection were found yet

Kerala records 265 fresh Covid-19 cases, one death in last 24 hours

Kerala reported 265 fresh COVID-19 infections and one death due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Friday. Of the 328 coronavirus infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 265 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 2,606, as per the website. With one death reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,060. The number of people who were cured, discharged, or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 275. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,37,689 till date. The state reported 300 new COVID-19 infections and three deaths due to the disease on Thursday. On Tuesday, Health Minister Veena George reassured the people of the state that despite the rise in COVID cases in Kerala, there is no cause for alarm. The hospitals are adequately equipped

Noida reports first Covid-19 case in months as man tests positive

A Noida resident has tested positive for Covid, in a first case of the infection in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar after several months, officials said. The patient is a 54-year-old male who lives in Noida but works at a multinational company in Gurugram, Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sunil Sharma said on Thursday. "His test sample has been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. The result is awaited," Sharma said. District Surveillance Officer and public healthcare expert Dr Amit Kumar said the patient travelled to Nepal earlier this month and also went to work at his Gurugram office after returning. "The patient is asymptomatic and went for the COVID-19 test on his own," Kumar said, adding that this is the only confirmed case in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far. CMO Sharma said testing for the virus had come down in the district this year. People can get themselves tested for Covid at primary and community health centres here and the district hospital, he added. The

India records 594 fresh Covid-19 cases, active caseload rises to 2,669

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday held a meeting to review the sudden jump in Covid-19 cases and deaths in several parts of the country

3 deaths, 300 fresh Covid cases in Kerala; active cases in state at 2,341

Kerala reported 300 fresh COVID-19 infections and three deaths due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Thursday. Of the 358 COVID infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 300 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 2,341, as per the Ministry website. With the three deaths reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,059. The number of people who were cured, discharged or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 211. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,37,414 till date. On Tuesday, state Health Minister Veena George said that despite the increase in COVID cases in Kerala, there was nothing to be concerned about as the hospitals were well-prepared to handle the virus infection.

2 Covid-related deaths reported in Karnataka; 92 active cases in state

Two Covid-19 related deaths and 20 fresh cases were reported in Karnataka, according to a Health bulletin issued on Wednesday. The bulletin stated that the deceased - both male aged 44 and 76 - died on December 16 and December 17 respectively in Bengaluru. One of them was asymptomatic while the other patient complained of breathlessness. Earlier in the day, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a 64-year-old man died in the city due to Covid-19 infection five days ago. Asked if the cause of death was the new subvariant JN.1 of the SARS CoV-2 virus, he said it was not known so far. The person, who had comorbidities, was a resident of Chamarajpet and died on December 15, the Minister told reporters. In the last 24 hours, a total of 808 tests were done across various districts in the state, out of which 407 were RT-PCR and 401 were Rapid Antigen Tests. The covid positivity rate in the state stood at 2.49 per cent while the case fatality rate stood at 10 per cent, it .