India today recorded 2,55,874 new coronavirus cases, 16.39 per cent lower than Monday’s figure of 3.06 lakh cases. During the same period, the country reported 614 virus-related deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 4,89,848.
At 22,36,842, active cases in India now comprise 5.62 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate marginally increased to 93.15 per cent.
Delhi also reported 5,760 new coronavirus cases on Monday. Meanwhile, the country has administered 162.92 crore vaccine doses so far.
Lok Sabha member from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir today said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and has mild symptoms.
“After experiencing mild symptoms, I tested positive for Covid today. Requesting everyone who came into my contact to get themselves tested,” the cricketer-turned-politician tweeted.
Odisha recorded 5,891 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, 19 per cent less than the previous day, as the number of clinical tests registered a significant drop over the past two days, the health department said.
The tally in the coastal state climbed to 12,17,842, the department stated.
The death count mounted to 8,532 with seven more deaths in the past 24 hours.
The infections are the lowest in a fortnight. The state had reported 11,086 cases exactly a week ago. On Monday, it logged 7,291 new cases and five deaths.
West Bengal on Monday recorded 4,546 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the tally to 19,69,791, while 37 more fatalities raised the death count to 20,375, a health department bulletin said.
The state had on Sunday logged 6,980 fresh infections and 36 deaths due to the disease.
The positivity rate came down to 8.84 per cent from Sunday’s 9.53 per cent, and the number of active cases currently has 94,535, down by 15,648 from the previous day’s count.
In many countries, in addition to depriving millions of children of the chance to acquire basic skills, these disruptions have affected students’ mental health, put them at greater risk of abuse and prevented many from having access to “a regular source of nutrition,” UNICEF added.
“Quite simply, we are looking at a nearly insurmountable scale of loss to children’s schooling,” said UNICEF Chief of Education Robert Jenkins in a statement, almost two years into the pandemic.
More about Omicron
The Omicron variant has been called a variant of concern by WHO based on studies that shows it has several mutations.
Still a lot of research is underway to evaluate its transmissibility, severity and reinfection risk.
The Omicron variant has been detected in several regions of the world. WHO reports that the likelihood of the Omicron variant spreading further globally is high.
It is not currently known if the Omicron variant is more or less severe than other strains of COVID-19, including Delta. Studies are ongoing and this information will be updated as it becomes available.
It is not yet clear whether Omicron can spread more easily from person to person compared to other variants, such as Delta.
However, being vaccinated and taking precautions such as avoiding crowded spaces, keeping your distance from others and wearing a mask are critical in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we know these actions have been effective against other variants.
Researchers are looking into any potential impact the Omicron variant has on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Although information is still limited, WHO believes it is a reasonable assumption that the currently available vaccines offer some protection against severe disease and death.
It is also important to be vaccinated to protect against the other widely circulating variants, such as the Delta one. When it’s your turn, make sure to get vaccinated. If your vaccination involves two doses, it’s important to receive both in order to have the maximum protection.
According to WHO, early evidence suggests that people who have previously had COVID-19 could be reinfected more easily with Omicron, in comparison to other variants of concern. Information is still limited though and we will share updates as it becomes available.
Source: UNICEFRead more Health News
Latest update Omicron
