Omicron Updates: 95% Eligible Population Vaccinated with 1st Dose; Maha Reports 25,425 Fresh Covid Cases

Delhi on Thursday reported 4,291 fresh COVID-19 cases and 34 deaths, while the positivity rate dropped marginally to 9.56 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. With this, the national capital’s case count increased to 18,15,288 and the death toll climbed to 25,744, the health bulletin stated. The number of COVID-19 tests conducted a day ago stood at 44,903, it said. Delhi had on Wednesday reported 7,498 cases with a positivity rate of 10.59 per cent and 29 deaths.

The health ministry on Thursday said that ten states with highest Covid cases have reported 77 percent of the total active cases in the country. The ministry also said that vaccination is helping the country with lesser hospitalisation and less severity among Covid patients in the country.

The weekend curfew and rule of odd-even for shops has been lifted in the national capital as Covid-19 infections decrease. However, the night curfew will still continue.

In the last 24 hours, India recorded 2,86,384 new COVID-19 cases, 573 deaths and 3,06,357 recoveries, as per the health ministry’s data. India’s recorded infections of Covid-19 crossed 4 crores on Tuesday, of this, 50 lakh fresh cases were added in the last three weeks alone during the Omicron-driven third wave of the pandemic in the country. US biotech company Moderna announced on Wednesday that it has begun clinical trials of a booster dose of a vaccine designed specifically to combat the fresh variant Covid-19 Omicron.

India’s Covid case count continues to be the second-highest in the world after the US, where nearly 7.3 crore cases have been logged till date. India had reached the 3-crore mark in total cases on June 22, 2021, when the second wave was waning.

Reportedly, the trials will involve a total of 600 adults- half of whom have already received two doses of Moderna’s vaccine at least six months ago, and half of whom have received two doses plus the previously authorized booster dose.

On Wednesday, Israel announced that it would start making fourth Covid-19 vaccine shots available to all vulnerable people aged over 18. Israel began offering booster shots last summer and has since approved fourth shots for elderly and vulnerable populations. Health ministry director Nachman Ash announced a new stage in the campaign, saying that all immunocompromised people and frontline workers over 18 would be eligible for a fourth shot.

The Haryana government has extended Covid-related restrictions in the state till February 10, but allowed malls and markets to remain open till 7 pm, extending the relaxation by one hour.

As Covid-19 cases continue to decline in Delhi, the number of active Covid-19 cases in the national capital has halved in just 12 days after rising to a high of 94,160 on January 13, while it took 21 days for the active caseload to drop by half during the second wave last year. The third wave of the pandemic saw the active cases peaking to 94,160 on January 13. The number dropped to 42,010 by Tuesday.

Read all the Latest India News here