Coronavirus News Updates: Air Suvidha forms, RT-PCR tests 72 hrs prior to departure likely to be mandatory for international fliers

Important updates on the Covid-19 situation in India and the world with DH.

Fresh outbreak of Covid unlikely in India due to hybrid immunity, says NTAGI chief

Amid a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in neighbouring China, NTAGI chairperson Dr N K Arora assured that a fresh outbreak of severe Covid cases and hospitalisation is unlikely as people in India have the advantage of 'hybrid immunity'.

Read more

Air Suvidha forms, RT-PCR tests 72 hrs prior to departure likely to be mandatory for international fliers

Credit: PTI Photo

Gulbarga Institute Of Medical Sciences adds Covid beds amid Covid19 alert

2 more returnees test positive for Covid-19 in Chennai

Two more passengers, who returned from Dubai and Cambodia, tested positive for Covid-19 at the airport here on Wednesday, taking the total number of returnees testing for the virus so far in Tamil Nadu to four. Confirming that the two passengers had tested positive for the virus, State Health Minister Ma Subramanian said a woman and her six-year-old daughter, who returned from China via Colombo, too, had tested positive for COVID-19 at the Madurai airport on Tuesday.
Credit: PTI

2 international passengers found Covid positive in random sampling at Mumbai International airport today

Both the samples sent for genome sequencing: Maharashtra Health Department

SII will provide 2 cr doses of Covishield vaccine to central govt free of cost amid rise in Covid cases, say PTI reports

Japan imposes ‘emergency’ Covid border controls for travellers from China

Mandaviya to visit Delhi Airport to check Covid preparedness tomorrow

39 international travellers test Covid positive at Indian airports in 2 days: PTI sources

Next 40 days going to be crucial as India may see surge of Covid-19 cases, reports PTI citing sources

11 from Myanmar isolated at Delhi hospital test negative, being discharged

Eleven tourists from Myanmar, isolated at the Safdarjung Hospital earlier this week after one of them testedCovidpositive at the IGI Airport here, have turned out to be negative and are being discharged, officials said on Wednesday.The government has made random coronavirus testing mandatory for two per cent of passengers arriving in each international flight from Saturday amid a surge in coronavirus cases in some countries, including China. (PTI)

Taiwan to test arrivals from China for Covid-19 from January 1

Taiwan will test arrivals from China for COVID-19 from Jan. 1 in response to a surge in cases there, the government said on Wednesday, joining other countries in stepping up controls on people coming from China. Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Centre said all passengers arriving on direct flights from China, as well as by boat at two offshore islands, will have to take PCR tests upon arrival.

Japan marks record 415 Covid-19 deaths: Health ministry

Japan on Wednesday recorded 415 COVID-19 deaths, the highest-ever count for a single day, health ministry data showed.

The country counted 216,219 newly confirmed coronavirus cases on Wednesday, up 4% from a week earlier, the data also showed, approaching the record high of some 260,000 a day in August.

In the past seven days,Japanhad the world's largest confirmed COVID-19 infections and the second-most deaths after the United States, according to a tally by the World Health Organization. (Reuters)

Chinese hospitals 'extremely busy' as COVID spreads unchecked

Chinese hospitals were under intense pressure on Wednesday as a surge of COVID-19 infections strained medical resources, while the scale of the outbreak and doubts over official data prompted some countries to consider new travel rules on Chinese visitors. In an abrupt change of policy,Chinathis month began dismantling the world's strictest COVID regime of lockdowns and extensive testing, putting its battered economy on course for a complete re-opening next year. (Reuters)

Hong Kong to scrap COVID tests for arrivals, vaccine pass

International travellers to Hong Kong will no longer need to do a mandatory PCR COVID-19 test on arrival, local broadcaster TVB said on Wednesday citing sources, adding that the city's vaccine pass required to enter most venues would also be scrapped. (Reuters)

Philippines must be 'very cautious' over travellers from China: Minister

The Philippines should be "very cautious" when receiving inbound travelers from China, which is grappling with a sharp rise in COVID case numbers, the Philippine transportation minister said on Wednesday.

The Southeast Asian country could impose measures like testing requirements on visitors from China, but not an outright ban, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista told reporters.

Fresh Covid-19 outbreak further hampers China's supply chain

Mother-child duo returning from China test positive for Covid-19 in TN

A woman and her six-year-old daughter, who returned from China via Colombo, tested positive for COVID-19 at the Madurai airport in Tamil Nadu, a senior health official said on Wednesday.

The woman, hailing from Virudhunagar near Madurai, and her daughter were subjected to RT-PCR test at the airport when they landed on Tuesday and the results turned positive forcoronavirus, the official said. Both are under home isolation in Virudhunagar.

Their samples would be sent to the state lab for whole genomic sequencing. (PTI)

India records 188 new Covid-19 cases, active cases rise to 3,468

India logged 188 newcoronavirusinfections, while the active cases increased to 3,468, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The Covid case tally was recorded at4.46 crore (4,46,77,647).

The death toll stands at5,30,696, the data updated at 8 am stated. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.14 per cent, while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.18 per cent, the ministry said.

China reports three Covid-19 deaths for December 27

China reported three new COVID-19 deaths in mainland for Dec. 27, compared with one death a day earlier, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday.

The death toll was raised to 5,245.

Chinese residents prepare travel plans after Beijing scraps mandatory Covid quarantine

China to stop quarantining inbound travellers from Jan 8

China has said thatit would stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from January 8 in a major step towards easing curbs on its borders, which have been largely shut since 2020. (Reuters)

US weighs new Covid-19 rules for travellers from China amid 'lack of transparent data'

No stock of Covishield, Corbevax in state; govt seeks 30L doses from Centre

Karnataka placed a request with the central government for 25 lakh doses of Covishield and five lakh doses of Corbevax at the end of last week. The state is yet to get any response from the Centre, even as it is gearing up to increase the booster dose coverage from 20% to 50% by January end.

Read more

Air India Express issues Covid guidelines for travellers from UAE to India

(ANI)