You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
Delhi schools reopen for all classes
Schools in the national capital welcomed students of primary and junior classes on Monday after prolonged closure in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the virus induced restrictions eased, schools reopened for classes 9 to 12 on February 7 while classes nursery to 8 reopened from today.
“From today schools for junior classes have reopened in Delhi. Younger kid were desperately waiting for schools to reopen. Childhood is incomplete without schools. I pray to God that we never have to close schools again,” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
While the Centre has dropped the clause that mandated parental consent for students to physically attend classes from its guidelines, the Delhi government has decided to continue with the clause.
The schools are, however, free to decide on the number of students they want to accommodate based on their infrastructure, keeping in mind COVID-19 protocols.- PTI
New Zealand’s Ardern labels anti-vaccine mandate protests “imported” as crowds defy calls to leave
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday she felt demonstrations against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate now entering their second week were an “imported” phenomenon, and nothing like anything she had seen before in the country.
Hundreds of protesters continue to occupy lawns in front of the distinctive ‘Beehive’ parliament for a seventh day, ignoring repeated calls by the police to leave and undaunted by drenching rain over the weekend.
“It feels like an imported protest to me,” Ardern told state broadcaster TVNZ in an interview.
“I’ve seen Trump flags on the forecourt, I’ve seen Canadian flags on the forecourt,” she said, referring to images of former U.S. President Donald Trump carried by some demonstrators as well as the situation in Canada.- Reuters
South Korea to start giving fourth doses of COVID vaccine by month-end
South Korea will begin giving out fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of February and supply millions of additional home test kits to ease shortages amid a surge in Omicron infections, authorities confirmed on Monday.
The surge has pushed daily cases to records, but widespread vaccination, with first booster shots received by more than 57 percent of the population of 52 million, has helped limit deaths and serious infections.
High-risk groups will be the first to get the fourth dose, in effect a second booster shot, Health Minister Kwon Deok-cheol told a COVID-19 response meeting.
“We’re planning to provide fourth shots to those who live in nursing homes and care facilities and others with declined immunisation, in light of a recent increase of infections among people aged 60 or older,” he said, according to a transcript.-Reuters
India adds 34,113 COVID-19 cases, active cases fall below 5 lakh after 37 days
India on Monday reported 34,113 fresh coronavirus infections that took its tally to 4,26,65,534, while active cases dropped below 5 lakh after around 37 days, according to Union health ministry data.
Daily COVID-19 cases have remained below 1 lakh for eight consecutive days now.
The death toll climbed to 5,09,011 with 346 more fatalities, the data updated at 8.00 a.m. stated.
The number of active cases has declined to 4,78,882, comprising 1.12% of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate has further improved to 97.68 %, the ministry said.
A reduction of 58,163 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 3.19%.-PTI
All private, govt. schools in Rajasthan urban areas allowed to hold educational activities up to Class 5
The Rajasthan government on Sunday permitted all private and government schools in urban areas to hold educational activities up to class 5. The orders of the Home Department will come into effect from February 16.
The Home Department on Sunday issued fresh guidelines to all private and government schools in urban areas of the state to conduct educational activities up to class 5.
Students would only be allowed to come to campus for studies after the written consent of their parents or guardian. The facility of online study would continue like earlier.- PTI
Paris police hold 81 over banned anti-vaccine convoy
Paris police said they arrested 97 people who defied a ban on a Canada-style protest convoy over coronavirus regulations to try block traffic in the capital, with 81 still in custody Sunday.
Thousands of demonstrators from across France attempted to block traffic in the capital Saturday in a self-proclaimed “freedom convoy” of cars, trucks and campervans. Hundreds of them continued on to Brussels on Sunday.
In Paris, more than 100 vehicles managed to converge on the Champs-Elysees avenue, where police used teargas to disperse protesters in scenes reminiscent of the “yellow vest” riots of 2018-2019.
Dozens of people remained on the famous avenue and in the nearby Bois de Boulogne forest park until early Sunday.- AFP
No more week-long quarantine for people arriving from abroad, new COVID-19 guidelines come into force
International passengers arriving at the IGI Airport here will not require to undergo mandatory weeklong quarantine as new COVID-19 guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare come into force from Monday.
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed health officials and district magistrates to ensure the Centre’s revised COVID-19 guidelines for international arrivals are followed at the IGI Airport from Monday.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on February 10 released detailed guidelines for international arrivals at airports and seaports in the country, doing away with the quarantine provision.
According to the guidelines, all the passengers will show self-declaration form on arrival at the airport. The passengers found to be symptomatic during screening will be immediately isolated and taken to medical facility under health protocol.
All travellers will self-monitor their health for next 14 days of arrival. Earlier, such travellers were required to undergo weeklong home quarantine. -PTI
Daily COVID-19 cases in India plunge to 32,596
The country recorded 32,596 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The total number of infections has reached 4.26 crore, and the active cases have come down to 4.7 lakh.
The figures are based on the State bulletins released until 10 p.m. on Sunday. However, Gujarat, Assam, Jharkhand, Tripura and Ladakh had not yet released data for the day.
Kerala recorded 11,136 infections on Sunday, followed by Maharashtra (3,502) and Karnataka (2,372)
