Here are the latest updates on the new coronavirus variant:

  1. Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka said that more curbs will be announced before January 7 for Bengaluru as the city is in the red zone according to a list made by the Centre, the Hindustan Times reported. “We can save people’s lives if we impose more restrictions in Bengaluru and reduce the number of hospitalisations,” he said.
  2. India’s Omicron variant tally has reached 1,525, with Maharashtra reporting the most number of cases at 460, followed by Delhi (351) and Gujarat (136). The country recorded 27,553 new Covid-19 cases – a jump of 297% from last week and 284 deaths. There are 1,22,801 active cases and the toll due to Covid-19 rose to 4,81,770.
  3. The online registration and pre-booking of slots for Covid-19 vaccination of those between 15 and 18 years old was affected by technical glitches on the first day of the process on Saturday, reported The Times of India. The vaccination programme will begin on Monday.
  4. As many as 85 students in Uttarakhand’s Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, ANI reported. The school was turned into a micro-containment zone. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand on Saturday reported four cases of the Omicron variant.
  5. In Bihar’s Patna city, 17 doctors of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital tested positive for the virus on Saturday, India Today reported. All of the infected doctors had attended the annual meeting of Indian Medical Association on December 28.
  6. Odisha on Sunday held its decision to resume physical classes for primary school students from Monday as the state saw 424 Covid-19, its highest in two months, the Hindustan Times reported. Odisha has recorded 14 cases of the Omicron variant till date.
  7. The Supreme Court on Sunday decided to hold all hearings in virtual mode for two weeks starting Monday on account of an increase in the coronavirus cases, PTI reported. The court had been hearing cases through video-conferencing between March 2020 and October last year. It had reopened briefly, with several guidelines for physical and hybrid hearings after lawyers’ insistence.
  8. The United Kingdom government has asked the public sector managers to make contingency plan in case a large number of people are absent after testing positive for coronavirus, Reuters reported. The managers have to be prepared to deal with absence of 25% employees.
  9. On Saturday, more than 2,500 flights were cancelled in the United States, the BBC reported. United Airlines said that the cancellations were driven by the rising cases of Omicron variant and inclement weather.
  10. At Antarctica’s Belgian scientific research station, 16 of the 25 employees have tested positive for coronavirus since December 14, the BBC reported. Officials have said that the cases are mild.