Omicron variant: 9 more Omicron cases detected, 4 each in Maharashtra, Kerala; 1st case reported in Tamil Nadu

Covid vaccines may be less effective against Omicron, says WHO

Australia reopens borders to non-citizens

With West Bengal reporting its first Omicron case, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked the people to abide by Covid-19 norms and hoped that the pandemic situation might slow down by early next year.

Omicron cases in India

4 more Omicron cases in Kerala

Four more Omicron cases have been reported from the state. With this the total number of Omicron cases reported have become five, said health minister Veena George. Among the total four cases reported on Wednesday, two are the people who have come into contact with the first positive case which was reported from Ernakulam. These two are the wife and mother of the person who had returned from the UK. The third person 35-year-old is also from Ernakulam who had come from Congo. The fourth case has been reported from Thiruvananthapuram. This 22-year-old woman had come from the UK, she said.

Tamil Nadu: The patient is a 47-year-old man who travelled to Chennai from Nigeria via Doha on December 10. At least 6 of his relatives were infected. 1 more co-passenger was tested positive on Wednesday.

The co-passenger is a resident of Valarsaravakkam in Chennai. All of them have mild infection and their health condition is stable.

Omicron cases in Maharashtra rise to 32

Maharashtra reports 925 new cases & 10 deaths; Active caseload at 6,467

Four new cases of Omicron have been reported from Maharashtra. Two cases are from Osmanabad and one each from Mumbai and Buldhana. Of these, 25 patients have been discharged after testing negative. Patient from Mumbai had travelled to Ireland.

Karnataka reports 317 Covid-19 cases, 2 fatalities. Infection tally rises to 30,01,251, death toll 38,277. Number of active cases in the state stands at 7,179.

The EU health agency ECDC on Wednesday warned that vaccinations alone won't stop the rise of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, and said "strong action" was urgently needed. "In the current situation, vaccination alone will not allow us to prevent the impact of the Omicron variant, because there will be no time to address the vaccination gaps that still exist," Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), said in a statement,

The WHO, in its weekly epidemiological update, said that more data was needed to better understand the extent to which Omicron may evade immunity derived from either vaccines or previous infection.

Covid-19 vaccines may be less effective against Omicron - WHO

Preliminary evidence indicates that Covid-19 vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

4,006 new Covid-19 cases, 125 deaths and 3,898 recoveries reported in Kerala today; Active caseload stands at 35,234, death tally reaches 43,626

The European Union's drug regulator on Wednesday recommended that a booster dose of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine may be given at least two months after a first dose in those 18 years and older. A J&J booster dose may also be given after two doses of one of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan today held a virtual meeting with States/Union Territories to review preparedness regarding Medical Oxygen devices & systems

Uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen in sufficient quantity is of critical importance to tackle the pandemic, Bhushan said.

Philippines confirms first 2 Omicron cases

The Philippines has recorded its first two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in two travelers from Nigeria and Japan respectively, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Wednesday. The DOH said that the Nigerian national arrived in Manila on Nov. 30 via an Oman Air flight, while the returning overseas Filipino arrived on Dec. 1 via Philippine Airlines from Japan. The two Omicron-positive individuals are now isolated in a facility managed by the Bureau of Quarantine. The Filipino had symptoms of colds and cough upon arrival, the DOH said.