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Coronavirus Live Updates: Centre asks states to ensure availability of oxygen, functional ventilators

THE TIMES OF INDIA | Dec 24, 2022, 21:50:44 IST

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Coronavirus Live Updates: Centre asks states to ensure availability of oxygen, functional ventilators

Covid news live updates: With some countries witnessing a surge in Covid cases, the Centre on Saturday urged states and union territories to ensure the availability of Liquid Medical Oxygen, adequate inventory of cylinders and functional life support equipment such as ventilators at hospitals to face any challenge. Meanwhile, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said RT-PCR test for the detection of Covid-19 would be made mandatory for international passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand. Any passenger from these countries found symptomatic or testing positive for coronavirus would be quarantined, Mandaviya said. Stay with TOI for the latest developments

18:54 (IST) Dec 23

Nearly 37 million people in China may have been infected with Covid-19 on a single day this week, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing estimates from the government's top health authority.

18:48 (IST) Dec 23

The highest number of tourists will be in Goa due to upcoming festivities for which special attention will be taken, union health secretary needs to take review on regular basis and union health minister should speak to media to communicate the status with people: Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane

18:47 (IST) Dec 23

Airlines will be inspecting 2% of the international passengers: Vishwajit Rane, Goa health minister on review meeting with Union health minister.

18:15 (IST) Dec 23

Ahead of Bharat Jodo Yatra tomorrow, Delhi Congress instructs its party workers and leaders who will be participating in the Yatra to come wearing face masks: Sources

17:52 (IST) Dec 23

Centre and states need to work in a collaborative spirit as we have done during the previous surges: Health minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

17:50 (IST) Dec 23

Can BF. 7 variant cause a new Covid wave in India?

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17:43 (IST) Dec 23

Health ministry is planning to make a Covid negative test report mandatory for passengers arriving from countries with a high number of cases

17:41 (IST) Dec 23

Health ministry directs all states/UTs to focus on 'Test-Track-Treat and Vaccination' and adherence of Covid-19-appropriate behaviour of wearing mask, maintaining hand hygiene and physical distancing, considering the upcoming festival season and new year celebrations.

17:37 (IST) Dec 23

China is expecting a peak in Covid-19 infections within a week, a health official said, with authorities predicting extra strain on the country's health system even as they downplay the disease's severity and continue to report no new deaths.

17:11 (IST) Dec 23

He has directed us to increase surveillance and testing and ensure Covid-19 appropriate behaviour is followed. A mock drill for emergency response to deal with Covid-19 will be conducted in hospitals: Karnataka health minister Dr K Sudhakar on meeting with union health minister

16:18 (IST) Dec 23

Union health minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya holds a meeting with state health ministers on the Covid-19 situation and preparedness.

16:09 (IST) Dec 23

In view of the spurt in coronavirus cases globally and to prevent a fresh outbreak of the disease, AIIMS and other hospitals in Delhi have issued an advisory for their employees to reinforce Covid-appropriate behaviour.

15:39 (IST) Dec 23

Molnupiravir does not cut deaths in high risk Covid patients: Lancet study

Using the antiviral drug molnupiranir does not decrease deaths or hospital admissions among COVID-19 patients who are vaccinated and at higher risk of mortality, according to a study published in The Lancet journal.The trial with over 25,000 participants, however, suggests that patients taking molnupiravir recovered faster -- on average 4.2 days quicker -- compared to patients in the control group.Previous studies suggested that molnupiravir is effective at reducing hospital admissions in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 and WHO recommends its use for patients with the highest risk of hospital admission.

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14:52 (IST) Dec 23

Govt to conduct across country Covid response mock drill on Dec 27

"A mock drill for an emergency response to deal with Covid 9 cases will be conducted at hospitals across the country on Tuesday, 27th December, the Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya will also be participating in the Mock drill," official sources said.

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14:21 (IST) Dec 23

South Korea logs 68,168 new Covid cases

South Korea reported fresh 68,168 Covid infections on Friday, including 95 from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 28,534,558.Friday's count is up by about 1,200 from a week ago. The daily infection numbers have been on a steady rebound for the past several weeks amid a winter wave, Yonhap News Agency reported quoting the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Despite the virus spread, the government announced plans to scrap the indoor mask mandate in phases and a set of criteria that need to be met to implement the mask-free policy.

14:19 (IST) Dec 23

Experts predict difficult months ahead for China

It's not clear exactly how large the current outbreak is, as China has reduced testing and stopped reporting most mild cases.But in cities and towns around Baoding and Langfang, in Hebei province, an area that was among the first to face an unchecked outbreak, reporters saw hospital intensive care units overwhelmed by patients, and ambulances being turned away.Across the country, widespread reports of absences from work, shortages of fever-reducing medicine, and staff working overtime at crematoria suggest the virus is widespread. Experts have forecast between a million and 2 million deaths next year.

13:21 (IST) Dec 23

Civil aviation ministry issues guidelines for random testing of international arriving passengers

In a communication on Friday, the ministry said that airlines are required to direct their crew members to lead and bring identified 2 per cent of international arriving passengers to the testing facility at the airport."The airport operators would create necessary infrastructure to facilitate random testing of international arriving passengers at their respective airports," the communication said.

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13:18 (IST) Dec 23

Covid positivity rate declining week-on-week: Health ministry

According to a release, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday, the positivity rate is declining week-by-week with only 0.14 per cent positivity in the week ending on December 22."Consistent decline in cases in India is recorded with five states accounting for 78 percent of the daily new cases reported on December 22," the Health Ministry said, adding that 8 states and 4 UTs currently have zero reported active cases.

13:13 (IST) Dec 23

Punjab CM to hold meeting with health department over Covid-19 situation

12:39 (IST) Dec 23

States to undertake mock drill to ensure operational readiness of Covid-dedicated facilities

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