Covid Third Wave in India: Positivity rate skyrockets and 5 updates
The Ministry of Health confirmed on January 6 that India's Omicron tally has now reached 2,630. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain has said that a lockdown is not required in the national capital. Meanwhile, 139 more passengers have tested positive on the ill-fated Cordelia Cruises' Empress of the Seas ship.
India has registered 90,928 new Covid-19 cases and 325 Covid-related deaths.
Here are the latest updates:
1. INDIA HAS 2,630 OMICRON CASES IN TOTAL NOW
Here's the state and UT-wise break-up:
Maharashtra - 797
Delhi - 465
Rajasthan - 236
Kerala – 234
Karnataka - 226
Gujarat - 204
Tamil Nadu - 121
Telangana - 94
Haryana - 71
Odisha - 60
Uttar Pradesh - 31
Andhra Pradesh - 28
West Bengal - 20
Madhya Pradesh - 9
Uttarakhand - 8
Goa - 5
Meghalaya - 4
Chandigarh - 3
Jammu and Kashmir - 3
Andaman and Nicobar Islands – 2
Assam – 2
Puducherry - 2
Punjab - 2
Himachal Pradesh - 1
Ladakh - 1
Manipur - 1
2. COVID-19 POSITIVITY RATE IN INDIA PASSES WHO PERMISSIBLE LEVELS
The highly transmissible Omicron variant is fuelling the new Covid-19 wave, leading to an explosion of cases in the past week. As per the World Health Organization guidelines, TPR (positivity rate) below 5% means that the virus transmission is under some control. But anything above 5% means the rate of infection will rise. TPR denotes the percentage of all Covid tests that return positive.
According to the data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 29 districts out of the 731 whose data is available have a weekly TPR of above 10%. These 29 districts include 8 districts in Mizoram, 6 in West Bengal, 4 in Maharashtra, 2 in Goa, and 1 each in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Punjab, among others.
3. DELHI HEALTH MINISTER SAYS LOCKDOWN NOT NECESSARY
India Today reported on January 6 that the Delhi government has said that there is 'no need for lockdown right now'. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, "No Omicron death in Delhi yet. Bed occupancy is very less and severity is very less. Health infrastructure is being ramped up. No need to stay in home isolation beyond seven days. One can step out of their homes, provided they have no fever in the last three days."
4. 139 PASSENGERS FURTHER TEST POSITIVE ON CORDELIA CRUISE SHIP
An official of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has confirmed that another 139 of the 1,827 passengers onboard the Cordelia cruise ship, which has returned from Goa, have tested positive for Covid-19 on January 5. These 139 are in addition to the 66 passengers identified before bringing the total to 205. Previously, the BMC's executive health officer Dr Mangala Gomare told PTI that another 143 passengers had tested positive on January 5, but late at night the civic body revised this figure to 139. (READ MORE HERE: Omicron in India: Cordelia Cruises ship turns Covid cluster, precautionary vaccine soon. 5 updates)
5. US PUSHES BOOSTER JABS FOR ALL ABOVE 12
The US is pushing its citizens who are 12 and older get a Covid-19 booster as soon as they are eligible, to combat Omicron. Boosters were already being encouraged for all Americans aged 16 and above.
On January 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began endorsing an extra Pfizer shot for teens between the age of 12 to 15. The CDC also further pushed its recommendation that 16 and 17-year-olds take the extra Pfizer shot.
Dr Rochelle Walensky, the CDC’s director, said in a statement on the night of January 5, "It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease."