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COVID-19 makes India On The Threshold Of Third Wave

COVID-19 makes India On The Threshold Of Third Wave

It has officially been declared that India is in the throes of its third wave of COVID-19. In an interview with India’s national news channel, NDTV, vaccine task force head Dr NK Arora confirmed that the third wave of vaccine campaigns has officially begun. According to Arora, metro cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai account for nearly 75 per cent of all cases of Omicron.

Twelve per cent of the variants identified nationwide during the first week of December were Omicron, according to Dr Arora, and by the end of the week, the percentage had risen to 28 per cent.

According to Dr Arora, who is Chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, this strain accounts for over 75 per cent of all isolates in major metropolises, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and particularly Delhi.

A large portion of the Omicron cases reported in India as the country faces the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported from big cities, the head of the country’s vaccine task force said today on NDTV. He added that the third wave is very much here.

According to Dr NK Arora, who has been working closely on the vaccine rollout from the very beginning, large cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata have a combined share of 75 per cent of infections caused by the highly transmissible variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, that had been first detected in South Africa in November.

India Is On The Threshold Of Third Wave Of COVID-19

 “If we look at the variants that have been analyzed by genome sequencing… the first virus was found in the first week of December. So, last week, nationally, 12 per cent of the variants identified in the country were described as Omicron, and it has grown to 28 per cent within the last week. Approximately 75 per cent of all Covid isolates occur in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and particularly Kolkata,” said Dr Arora, Chairman of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, or NTAGI.

In addition to that, Dr Arora added, “I must also admit that I am concerned over the fact that in large metropolitan areas, such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, and especially Delhi, is the proportion of Covid infections is increasing rapidly.”

Omicron infections have been reported in India in 1,700 cases, with Maharashtra reporting the most significant number at 510 infections. Data released this morning show that COVID-19 new cases increased by 22 per cent in the country as well.

Arora says there is no doubt that the third wave of the pandemic is here. Dr NK Arora, who spoke with NDTV, said, “India is clearly in the third wave of COVID-19. And the entire wave seems to be driven by a new variant, today Omicron, “he said. Arora added this is supported by the “galloping increase in cases” of the last four or five days.

As to another significant point raised by Dr Arora, he dismissed concerns that vaccines being given to 15-18-year-olds, who have been getting anti-Covid injections today, may be unsafe since their shelf-life has been extended.

COVID

There is no question about its safety. In the beginning, when vaccines were being produced, the general shelf-life issues were only available when the studies were being conducted. Since when the vaccine was produced, the shelf life has been examined through various animal studies. And it stands to reason that the vaccine is effective and that its potency is maintained for up to 12 months, “Dr Arora said.

The Indian drugs regulator granted an extension to Bharat Biotech to use Covaxin beyond its original expiration date on December 20. Several experts told Outlook magazine that India was already in the early stages of the third wave before the NTAGI confirmed it.

Although it is impossible to define what constitutes a wave, there is evidence of the rapid growth in Covid-19 cases across India. Combined with high R-values and test positivity rates mainly in the major cities in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru shows the start of the third wave.

Agrawal had previously told Outlook that a third wave was “inevitable” when he spoke earlier to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), initiated jointly by the Union Health Ministry and other entities. Renowned virologist Shaahid Jameel had also confirmed that the county was indeed experiencing the early stages of the third wave.

There are currently 1,700 reported cases of Omicron in India. In recent weeks, states and union territories throughout the country have reported a spike in cases of Covid-19.

The number of active cases in Maharashtra has crossed 50k

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There were 12,160 new Coronavirus cases reported in Maharashtra on Monday, 283 more than the previous day, resulting in 11 new deaths, and the total number of confirmed cases and deaths reached 50,000.

According to the state’s Department of Health, the tally of COVID-19 deaths rose to 1,41,553, while the number of injured rose to 67,12,028, . Since the start of the public health emergency on Monday, the state has reported 68 fresh cases of the new coronavirus variant Omicron, bringing the total to 578.

On the day that vaccinations began for 12 to 15-year-olds across the country, the Maharashtra government shut down grades I to IX and XI through January 31 to make room for the vaccinations. These measures will cover urban and rural areas in the state. The classes available online will continue, though. There has been an unencumbered rise in Covid-19 cases in the state as children are becoming infected in this ongoing third pandemic wave. Recently, there has been a significant rise in infections of more than 26 per cent.

During an emergency meeting, Maharashtra’s chief secretary Sitaram Kunte held a meeting with all district collectors to discuss how more restrictions could be implemented. Numerous districts have been subjected to night curfews since December 25 of last year.

Nine jumbo Covid centres in Mumbai have started vaccinations for children, and these centres each can vaccinate 1,500 children per day. In Maharashtra, vaccinations have been launched in every part of the state to an overwhelmingly positive response, according to health minister Rajesh Tope.

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A Mumbai lockdown might be contemplated if the city’s civic body chief reports that 20,000 Covid-19 cases have been reported each day.

Eighty-one per cent of cases of Covid-19 in Delhi are Omicron

The number of new COVID-19 cases filed in Delhi over the last 24 hours jumped to 4,099, with the positivity rate increasing to 6.46 per cent. A statement released by Satyendar Jain, the city’s health minister, states that excessive bed occupancy will mean increased restrictions. This is due to the Omicron variant of Coronavirus, which is causing infections to surge in the city.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will likely discuss more restrictions in its meeting scheduled for Tuesday. In the meantime, authorities have issued a Yellow Alert for Delhi. Nevertheless, according to the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), Delhi has reached the stage of Level 4 restrictions (red alert) that require the closure of most activities and a total curfew. ‘Red alert’ status is triggered when the positivity rate increases to 5 per cent after two consecutive days, as described by GRAP.

The West Bengal government imposes restrictions. 

According to the state’s health department, the state’s health department reported 6,078 new Covid-19 cases on Monday. According to the department, the number is 75 less than the previous day and brings the total to 16,55,228.

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More than a hundred doctors and healthcare workers at Kolkata’s government hospitals have been placed in isolation or hospitalized after being tested positive for Covid-19 over the past three days. During this same period, Kolkata recorded 9,752 cases in just one week, and the hospitals were expecting a surge of hospitalizations in the following week.

West Bengal has imposed restrictions on gatherings and movement as a response to the outbreak. On Monday, the State Election Commission announced that while it will adhere to its schedule for elections to four municipal corporations on January 22, it would not permit large political rallies or roadshows. Rather it would permit small teams of up to five political workers, including the candidate to conduct door-to-door campaigns.

As well as that, a state-wide night curfew is in place from 11 pm to 5 am every night. The local train service has been restricted until 10 pm local time with 50 per cent of seats filled. There are also street or sidewalk curbs in place. 

Children’s vaccinations give hope to J&K.

Vaccination drives for children of 15-17 years were conducted today across all 15 districts of Kashmir by their respective district heads, giving students hope for the reopening of schools in the valley that has been closed for three years. 

Vaccinations were administered at the Kothibagh Girls Higher Secondary Girls School in Srinagar. Students say they have been unable to attend school for the past three years following the implementation of Article 370 in 2019 and the subsequent Covid epidemic. “We hope to be able to return to school this March, “said a student.

COVID

A dose of Covaxin is being administered to eligible teenagers by the health workers.

Vaccinations must be conducted to prevent the Covid pandemic. In a humble request to the young friends, Lt Governor Sinha requested that they vaccinated.

Vaccines don’t guarantee immunity, so don’t relax once you receive them. Following Covid-19 protocols and guidelines must continue to be a priority,” he said.

The number of Covid-19 cases has been increasing in Jammu and Kashmir. With 176 new cases of Coronavirus reported on Monday, 3,41,802 have been infected, bringing the overall total to 3,41,802. However, no further deaths due to the virus have been reported in the Union Territory within 24 hours.

In Rajasthan, nearly 53 lakh teenagers are scheduled to receive vaccinations. 

Rajkiya Adarsh Balika Uchch Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Jaipur hosted a vaccination drive for children aged 15-18 years on Monday, under the leadership of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. A total of 355 cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the state, of which 224 were from Jaipur. Furthermore, 52 new Omicron cases have also been recorded, 38 of which originate from Jaipur. Due to rise in the number of Covid-19 cases recently, the Rajasthan government has made a new set of guidelines that dictate closures of schools in Jaipur and limit the number of people who can attend political rallies, dharnas and fairs.

 

Article Proofread & Published by Gauri Malhotra.

 

 

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