Omicron Coronavirus News Live Updates: Telangana reports 12 new Omicron cases, tally rises to 20
Omicron Coronavirus News Live Updates
Omicron Coronavirus News Live Updates: In a big jump in Omicron cases, Telangana on Saturday reported 12 new infections, taking the state's tally to 20, a top health official said.
Ten of the new cases were reported among passengers who returned from other than 'at risk' countries, while two travellers from 'at risk' nations also tested positive for the new variant of coronavirus.
According to the director of public health, G. Srinivasa Rao, out of the 12 Omicron positive cases reported on Saturday, nine are of foreign origin and three are of Indian origin. Six of them had come from Kenya, two each from Somalia and the UAE, and one each from Ghana and Tanzania.
The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it is unclear if this is due to the virus' ability to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both, the WHO said in an update.
The agency designated Omicron a variant of concern on Nov. 26, soon after it was first detected, and much is still not known about it, including the severity of the illness it causes.
"There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron," the WHO said. "More data are needed to understand the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity."
Coronavirus in Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh reported 121 fresh coronavirus cases taking the total tally to 20,75,804 cases across the state. While coming to fatalities, three new deaths registered in the last twenty-four hours with one each in Krishna taking a total toll to 14,479. Read Full Story
Delhi reports 107 new cases, highest since June 28.
The Capital also reported 1 death. The active caseload now stands at 540.
Kerala reports 2,995 new cases, 11 deaths over 24 hours. Active caseload at 30,639. Death tally stands at 44,503.
Iran has detected its first case of infection by the new omicron variant of the coronavirus, state TV reported Sunday.
Britain's Health Secretary has not ruled out the chance of further coronavirus measures in the UK before Christmas, saying that the spread of the Omicron variant was a very fast moving situation.
UK health minister Sajid Javid said around 60% of all new Covid-19 cases in England are the fast-spreading Omicron variant
Ladakh Records 27 Fresh Covid Cases
Ladakh's tally of COVID-19 cases increased to 21,930 on Sunday with 27 fresh infections. While 15 new cases were detected in Leh, the rest 12 cases surfaced in Kargil district. The Covid-related death toll remained at 217 and of these, 159 deaths have been reported from Leh and 58 from Kargil. The number of active cases in the Union Territory has gone up to 181 -- 160 in Leh and 21 in Kargil -- from 173 the previous day.
Hits 'keep coming': Hospitals struggle as Covid beds fill
Hospitals across the country are struggling to cope with burnout among doctors, nurses and other workers, already buffeted by a crush of patients from the ongoing surge of the COVID-19 delta variant and now bracing for the fallout of another highly transmissible mutation.Ohio became the latest state to summon the National Guard to help overwhelmed medical facilities. Experts in Nebraska warned that its hospitals soon may need to ration care. Medical officials in Kansas and Missouri are delaying surgeries, turning away transfers and desperately trying to hire traveling nurses, as cases double and triple in an eerie reminder of last year's holiday season.
Omicron scrambles anew US firms' in-person aspirations
Major US companies are having to reassess their return-to-office plans and getting tough on vaccine or mask requirements as the Omicron Covid variant looks set to extend pandemic-induced work-from-home culture.A resumption of pre-virus workplace norms was only partially moving forward in the United States when the fast-spreading new variant arrived and provoked fresh concern.Legal challenges have made the future of President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate for companies with over 100 workers uncertain, and firms have been pursuing their own requirements.
West Bengal reports 556 Covid-19 cases, 8 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 16,26,511, death toll 19,660. The state now has 7,501 active cases.