Covid-19: West Bengal with micro-containment zones might impose lockdown

People buy clothes from stalls set up outside a cinema hall in New Delhi recently after the Delhi government imposed restrictions on facilities like cinema halls and multiplexes to curb the COVID-19 surge. Pic/AFP

With more than 73,000 new cases registered in the last seven days, speculations are rife that West Bengal, which has already announced formation of micro-containment zones, might impose a full lockdown to curb the unprecedented spike. On Friday, the state recorded 18,213 new cases, close to the highest single-day spike registered on May 14, 2021 (20,836). Experts are of the opinion that if the transmission chain is not broken immediately then the number of daily cases might break the record within a couple of days. What is more alarming for the state is the astronomical rise of cases in the last 10 days.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 infection rate in Odisha is on an upward trend. The state has reported 3,679 fresh cases on Saturday while 2,703 cases were reported on the previous day. According to State Information and Public Relation department, the highest of 1,233 cases were reported from Khordha district, followed by Sundergarh (582), Sambalpur (372), Cuttack (310), Jharsuguda (134) and Puri (100). Meanwhile, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Aditya Prasad Padhi held a meeting with the State government officials to get inputs for a safe and smooth conduct of upcoming three-tier Panchayat elections in the state in view of the prevailing situation.

Against the backdrop of Congress's proposed padayatra for the Mekedatu project, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Saturday sought the cooperation of the leaders of opposition Congress party to control the Covid-19 menace in the state. A statement has been issued in this regard against the backdrop of Congress preparing for the padayatra to demand implementation of the Mekedatu project, on January 9. However, he said, the Congress had continued its adamant stand on conducting the padayatra. Moreover, 2,628 cases of Covid-19 among children were reported in Bengaluru in the past one week, as per the statistics released by the Karnataka health department. On an average 375 children contract the infection every day.

Delhi on Saturday reported 20,181 fresh cases, highest in the last eight months and also the highest single-day rise after May 5 when the tally was at 20,960. The new cases have pushed its infection tally to 15,26,979. India reported 1,41,986 fresh Covid-19 cases and 40,895 recoveries in the last 24 hours with 285 fresh fatalities. With 64 fresh Omicron infections being detected in the last 24 hours, the national tally has mounted to 3,071.

Precautionary vax doesn't need fresh registration

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has said that there is no need for new registration for beneficiaries of the precautionary Covid-19 vaccine dose. "Those who have taken two doses of Covid-19 vaccine can directly take an appointment or walk-in to any vaccination centre", it said.

3,53,68,372
Total No. of cases in the country as of Saturday

4,83,463
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India

3,44,12,740
Patients Recovered and discharged in india as of Saturday

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