Covid News Updates: Another spike in Covid cases in Delhi & Mumbai; Night curfew in national capital from tomorrow

Wrap Up: All you need to know

U.S. airlines scrapped nearly 1,000 Christmas Day flights

The rapid spread of the Omicron variant has caused a spike in COVID-19 infections, forcing airlines to cancel flights as pilots and crew go into quarantine

Covaxin has shown good immune response in children during trials, says NTAGI chief

Covaxin has shown that it has a very good immune response in children in trials, Chairman of India’s COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) Dr NK Arora said on Sunday.

UN chief says Archbishop Tutu was “inspiration to generations”

Tamil Nadu: Customs officials at Chennai Airport seized 944 gms of gold worth Rs 42.27 lakhs under the Customs Act from the baggage of three passengers who had arrived from Colombo & Sharjah

MHA sets up panel headed by Vivek Joshi, a secretary rank officer, to examine whether to lift AFSPA from Nagaland: Sources

COVID-19: Apollo Hospitals chairman welcomes vaccine for 15-18 age group

Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, Dr Prathap C Reddy on Sunday welcomed the central government’s move to vaccinate children between 15 and 18 years against COVID-19.

Congress reiterates its charge that Centre was hatching “conspiracy” to bring back three farm laws through “back door” after next round of assembly polls and urges people to teach government a lesson by defeating it in elections

There is no special effort required in the implementation of the vaccination. Immunization of these children can be started in a short period w/o specific preparation. It’s a 2-dose schedule given at a 4-week interval; dosage requirement is the same as the adults

– Dr. N K Arora

Children b/w the age of 12-18 years behave very much like adults. Almost 2/3rd of COVID-19 deaths in India are within this age group. So adolescents need to be protected, they’re mobile & therefore their risk of getting infection is high

– COVID19 task force chairman Dr. N K Arora

Fauci vows more testing as Covid’s Omicron hammers US

Top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci on Sunday acknowledged a Covid “testing problem” as the Omicron strain overwhelms the nation, and he vowed to make more tests available to Americans next month. “One of the problems is that that’s not going to be totally available to everyone until we get to January, and there are still some issues now of people having trouble getting tested,” Fauci told ABC talk show “This Week.”

Light to moderate intensity rain to occur over & adjoining areas of a few places of Delhi, NCR during the next 2 hours: Indian Meteorological Department

Haryana reports one more Omicron case; tally mounts to 10

Digvijaya Singh made a very irresponsible statement. Now that he doesn’t have any major role in Congress party’s decision making, he’s saying all this to be in the limelight. It’s utter rubbish

– Union Min Pralhad Joshi on Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s remark on Veer Savarkar

19 more cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19 confirmed in Kerala: state Health Minister

COVID19 | Gujarat reports 177 new cases, 66 recoveries, & no deaths today

An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 occurred at Mandi, Himachal Pradesh at 18: 50 hours today: National Center for Seismology (NCS)

China’s Xi’an reports 485 COVID-19 cases amid surge

People above 60 years of age will need a ‘comorbidities certificate’ to take the COVID-19 precautionary dose

– National Health Authority (NHA) CEO, Dr. R S Sharma

The inquiry ordered by Army is progressing expeditiously & efforts are being made to conclude it at the earliest. Army is fully cooperating with the SIT inquiry ordered by Nagaland govt

– says Indian Army while regretting loss of civilian lives in Mon district on December 4

Farmers haven’t forgotten their humiliation; will vote out BJP in UP assembly polls

– Congress leader and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel

Maharashtra: 31 new Omicron cases were reported in the state; till date, a total of 141 Omicron cases have been reported in the State

Maharashtra reports 1,648 new cases, 918 recoveries and 17 deaths today

Active cases 9,813

Night curfew to be imposed in Delhi from tomorrow (Dec 27) from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM

Delhi reports 290 new Covid cases, 1 death in last 24 hours

Karnataka reported 348 fresh Covid cases, 198 recoveries, and 3 deaths in the last 24 hours

Active cases 7,418

PM Modi to inaugurate hydropower projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore in Himachal Pradesh tomorrow

The Election Commission of India will convene a meeting on 27th Dec with senior officials of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare including Secretary Rajesh Bhushan. The meeting will discuss the prevailing COVID19 situation for upcoming Assembly elections in five states.

COVID-19: Mumbai reports 922 new cases, 2 deaths and 326 recoveries today

Active caseload at 4,295

COVID-19: Tamil Nadu reports 610 new cases, 10 deaths and 679 discharges

Active cases 6,629

Aam Aadmi Party releases fourth list of 15 candidates for 2022 Punjab Assembly Elections

COVID19: Kerala reports 1,824 fresh infections, 16 deaths & 3,364 recoveries

Active caseload stands at 22,691.

48 students & 3 staff of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Takli Dhokeshwar, Ahmednagar found positive for COVID-19 till now: Ahmednagar District Magistrate Rajendra Bhosale

Oman sets COVID-19 double jab entry requirement for visitors

Omani authorities require foreign travellers aged 18 or older to have received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses to enter the sultanate, the state news agency reported on Sunday.

French virus infections spike over holidays

France has recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time since the pandemic struck, and COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the past month as the fast-spreading omicron variant complicates the government’s efforts to stave off a new lockdown.

AFSPA panel will submit recommendations within 45 days, based on which final decision will be taken: Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio

MHA addl secy (NE) to head committee on AFSPA; panel to comprise Nagaland chief secy, DGP: CM Neiphiu Rio

Centre to institute five-member committee to look into withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland: CM Neiphiu Rio

PM Modi to visit Kanpur on 28th December and inaugurate Kanpur Metro Rail Project

Indian Army’s Engineer-in-Chief Lieutenant General Harpal Singh was conferred with the ‘Eminent Engineering Personality Award’ by the Institution of Engineers (India) for his contributions in the field of engineering in the Defence Forces and Border Roads Organisation.

China’s local COVID case count driven to 21-month high by Xian outbreak

China reported its highest daily rise in local COVID-19 cases in 21 months as infections more than doubled in the northwestern city of Xian, China’s latest COVID hot spot. The city of 13 million, which entered its fourth day of lockdown, detected 155 domestically transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms for Saturday, up from 75 a day earlier, official data showed on Sunday.

Maharashtra | Due to the State imposed night curfew from 9pm-6am, Sai Baba Temple will be closed for devotees during the night hours

The regular early morning and night ‘aartis’ will also be closed for devotees: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi

First Omicron case detected in Gaza, Palestinians say

Samajwadi Party is dreaming that it will come to power again in Uttar Pradesh and they will stop the ongoing works at Ram Janmabhoomi. Akhilesh Ji, no one can stop the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya

– Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Orai, Jalaun

Jammu & Kashmir | Terrorists hurl grenade towards police post near Post Office, Pulwama

Today, I want to say that we’re going win more than 300 seats in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election 2022. Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are casteist parties. While, Modi Ji and Yogi Ji stand for ‘Sabka saath, Sabka vikas’

– Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Orai, Jalaun

Air Force personnel and family members pay tribute to Wing Commander Harshit Sinha, in Lucknow, who lost his life in the MiG-21 fighter aircraft crash on December 24

A total of 51 Omicron patients were admitted here out of which 40 have been successfully discharged. The majority of patients were asymptomatic & recovered without any medications. None of the patients was given oxygen support, steroid or Remdesivir

– Dr Suresh Kumar MD LNJP, Delhi

Few miscreants allegedly vandalised a statue at Holy Redeemer Church in Ambala last night, say police.

We’re examining CCTV footage to identify the culprits. The miscreants will be identified and rounded up soon. A thorough investigation will be conducted: ASP Ambala Pooja Dabla

Cong’s Adhir Ranjan writes to PM Modi regarding two Covid Hospitals in West Bengal

ongress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Covid Hospital in West Bengal’s Murshidabad and Kalyani. “I am very thankful to you for sanctioning two covid hospitals, one for Murshidabad and another for Kalyani on my request through the PM-Cares Fund,” the release read.

Amit Shah held meeting to discuss Nagaland on December 23

Four major Indian carriers’ dues to AAI more than doubled between Jan 2020 and Oct 2021

Dues of four major domestic airlines — IndiGo, SpiceJet, Go First and AirAsia India — to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) more than doubled between January 2020 and October 2021, according to internal AAI documents.

Salman Khan bitten by non-venomous snake at his Panvel farmhouse, discharged after treatment

Madhya Pradesh reports 8 cases of Omicron variant of COVID-19: Minister

Bihar: Five died, six injured in boiler blast in a noodle factory in Muzaffarpur

Further investigation is underway, as per the District Magistrate Pranav Kumar

COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra school rise to 51

The number of coronavirus cases at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district has gone up to 51, including 48 students, a health official said on Sunday.

Himachal Pradesh reports first case of Omicron

The person had returned from Canada on December 18. The patient’s latest RTPCR is negative and her three close contacts have also tested negative, as per the State Health Department.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi set to launch poll campaign in Punjab from 3rd January for upcoming state Assembly polls

PTI reported quoting sources

Madhya Pradesh: Cabinet withdraws recently issued ordinance for conducting panchayat elections

The proposal has been sent to Governor

Anti-apartheid icon Archbishop Desmond Tutu has passed away: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa