New Delhi: India continued to report daily high COVID-19 cases. While cases continue to drop in some states like West Bengal and Delhi, both of which registered record high daily new cases a few weeks back, cases in some states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu continue to soar. Maharashtra, the state which leads the COVID tally in India, notched a significant drop in Covid-19 cases but Omicron infections again shot above the 100-mark and deaths remained in double-digits.
Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday informed that over 3.5 crore children between the 15-18 age group have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far in the country, since January 3, the commencement of vaccination drive for the age group. Meanwhile at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a gathering of world leaders and top industrialists said that India is celebrating its 75th year of Independence and also the administration of 156 crore vaccine doses in the country.
Maharashtra on Monday recorded 31,111 fresh coronavirus positive cases, 10,216 less than the day before, and 24 new deaths linked to the infection. With these additions, the state's overall tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 72,42,921, while the death toll jumped to 1,41,832.
Mumbai on Monday reported 5,956 new COVID-19 cases, down by 1,939 from a day ago, taking its overall tally above the 10-lakh mark, while 12 more patients succumbed to the infection, the highest single-day deaths after July 29, 2021, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. Meanwhile, two oxygen refilling plants of the BMC at Mahul and Mahalaxmi areas in Mumbai were commissioned on Monday by Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray in an online function.
Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 count reached 10,64,290 on Monday with the addition of 4,574 cases, while the toll rose to 13,664 after 10 patients succumbed to the infection. The state's positivity rate was 12.02 per cent.
Karnataka on Monday reported 27,156 fresh COVID-19 infections and 14 deaths taking the total caseload and fatalities in the state to 32,47,243 and 38,445 respectively. Bengaluru Urban district led the spike in cases in Karnataka with 15,947 infections and five deaths. Meanwhile Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said on Monday that COVID-19 experts in Karnataka expect that the state may witness coronavirus infections touching the peak on January 25 before coming down gradually.
Tamil Nadu on Monday reported a marginal dip in fresh COVID-19 infections with 23,443 cases but the active cases breached the 1.50 lakh mark and fatalities were 20. The active cases, including isolation, climbed to 1,52,348.Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Monday that the government has completed 100 per cent, the first dose of vaccination against COVID for state-run school students of 15-18 years of age.
The number of daily COVID-19 cases continued to rise sharply in Kerala with the state reporting 22,946 fresh infections on Monday taking the total caseload to 53,92,652. The state Health Department said the growth rate of new virus cases has shot up by 182 per cent compared to the number of cases reported in the previous week (January 10 and 16). Currently, there are 1,21,458 active COVID-19 cases in the state out of which only 3.7 per cent require hospitalisation. Meanwhile the Kerala state Cultural Minister Saji Cherian said that the 26th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) has been postponed in the wake of surging COVID-19 cases. Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty on Monday said schools with over 500 students will turn into COVID-19 vaccination centres from January 19 for the children studying there in the age group of 15 to 18 years.
Also Read: Over 3.5 cr children between 15-18 receive 1st dose of COVID vaccine in India so far
Delhi reported 12,527 fresh COVID-19 cases and 24 more deaths due to the viral disease on Monday, while the positivity rate stood at 27.99 per cent. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday said corona cases have decreased in the city over the last four days as the weekend curfew is proving to work and assured migrant workers there will be no lockdown in the national capital. He said the vaccination drive in Delhi completed one year on Monday and a total of 2.85 crore doses have been administered so far. The Delhi government's initiative of free online yoga classes under "Dilli Ki Yogshala" is assisting COVID-19 patients in boosting their immunity while bound at home.
West Bengal on Monday registered 9,385 new Covid-19 cases, 5,553 less than Sunday's figure, pushing the tally to 19,07,084. Altogether 33 fresh fatalities took the death toll to 20,121. Kolkata accounted for seven deaths and 1,879 cases on Monday, while North 24 Parganas district recorded 11 fatalities and 1863 new positive cases.
The West Bengal government on Monday announced certain relaxations to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. Gyms can open at 50 per cent capacity in any given time till 9 PM provided that the staff and users are fully vaccinated or are RTPCR negative. The government also allowed 'jatras' to be held till 9 PM only at 50 per cent capacity in an outdoor venue. It added that in case a 'jatra' is held indoors, a maximum of 200 people or 50 per cent of the capacity, whichever is lower, would be permitted.
The International Kolkata Book Fair was postponed by a month due to a surge in Covid-19 cases and municipal election, and now it will start from February 28, the organiser said on Monday. Meanwhile, trade bodies in West Bengal are pressing for relaxation of the partial lockdown measures clamped by the government on the job intensive tourism sector and have demanded its relaxation. The travel restriction announced by the Mamata Banerjee government to contain the spread of the disease in the state has severely impacted the state's tourism industry, they said on Monday.
Haryana on Monday reported 9,204 fresh COVID-19 cases that took its tally to 8,56,102, while 12 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 10,116. The number of active cases in the state stands at 54,814. In Manipur 32 new omicron cases have been confirmed today, taking the overall tally in the state to 39. Jammu and Kashmir reported 2,827 new cases, 1093 from Jammu and 1734 from Kashmir in the last 24 hours. The active cases in the Union Territory stand at 17,928. Uttar Pradesh on Monday reported 15,622 fresh coronavirus cases, pushing the active infection tally to 1,06,616 as nine more people died of Covid in the last 24 hours, raising the toll to 22,972.
Telangana continued to record a spike in COVID-19 cases with 2,447 infections reported in the state on Monday taking the coronavirus tally to 7,11,656 while the death toll rose to 4,060 with three more fatalities. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) reported the highest number of fresh cases with 1,112, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri (235) and Ranga Reddy (183) district. Andhra Pradesh reported 4,108 new cases and 696 recoveries on Monday. The active cases in the state stands at 30,182.
The revised 'Clinical Guidance for Management of Adult COVID-19 Patients' guidelines issued by AIIMS, ICMR-COVID-19 National Task Force and Joint Monitoring Group (DGHS) under the Union Health Ministry stated that there is no evidence of injectable steroids benefitting Covid patients not requiring oxygen supplementation or in continuation after discharge. Anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapy, such as steroids, can have the risk of secondary infection like invasive mucormycosis, when used too early, at higher dose or for longer than required, it warned.
Meanwhile, India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage crossed 157.91 crore doses with over 68 lakh shots being administered on Monday. More than 50 lakh (50,56,277) precaution doses have been administered to healthcare and frontline workers, and to those aged 60 and above with comorbidities.
(With agency inputs)
