The big news: Kolkata records 101% jump in daily infection count, and nine other top stories
Other headlines: Vaccines primarily modify disease rather than prevent infection, said the ICMR chief, and Omicron was found in 37.6% of samples in Mumbai.
A look at the headlines right now:
- Covid-19: Kolkata reports 101.85% jump in new cases, Mumbai registers rise of 46.25%: Mumbai on Thursday reported a positivity rate of 7.9% compared to 4.8% recorded on the previous day.
- Covid-19 vaccines primarily modify disease, do not prevent infection, says ICMR chief: Dr Balram Bhargava urged people to wear masks and avoid mass gatherings both before and after inoculation.
- In Mumbai, Omicron found in 37.6% of Covid-19 samples taken from the community: Of the 375 samples collected between December 21 and 22, genome sequencing by the Kasturba laboratory detected 141 had been infected with the variant.
- West Bengal suspends flights from United Kingdom to Kolkata from January 3: All passengers arriving in the state from countries not classified as ‘at-risk’ would have to undergo a coronavirus test on arrival.
- Congress state chief arrested for protesting against Dalit girl assaulted in UP without permission: Ajay Kumar Lallu was held after he and other party leaders held a demonstration demanding the arrest of the accused persons.
- Author Namita Gokhale wins Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel ‘Things to leave behind’: Nineteen other writers were also given the award, Anita Vachharajani won the Bal Sahitya Puraskar and Megha Majumdar won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar.
- Kashmir gunfight: ‘Bullying us into silence by penal action,’ says Mufti after police warning: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday said that they would take action against residents and politicians who make ‘speculative statements’.
- Hindu religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj arrested for comments about Mahatma Gandhi: At a two-day ‘dharam sansad’ event in Raipur, the seer had praised Nathuram Godse for assassinating Gandhi.
- US criticises raids, arrests at Hong Kong’s media outlet ‘Stand News’, says ‘journalism is not sedition’: The pro-democracy publication ceased operations after seven people linked to it were arrested.
- Mixing news with views is a ‘dangerous cocktail’, chief justice tells journalists: NV Ramana asked the media to trust the judiciary, adding that the trend to ‘sermonise about judgements and villainise judges’ needs to be checked.