Coronavirus In India Updates: 2,55,874 new COVID-19 cases reported in last 24 hours

During today's meeting with States/UTs, the Union Health Minister advised them to send COVID testing & vaccination data timely. He also said that testing should be ramped up in the States where it has gone down: Official sources

The Beijing Olympics Committee on Monday revised its COVID-19 measures, lowering the threshold for producing negative tests despite skyrocketing cases of coronavirus infections in China. According to a press release by the International Olympics Committee (IOC), Beijing has refined the criteria for determining nucleic acid test (PCR) results and shortening the length of time the close contacts must be put under quarantine, Global Times reported.

"In order to adapt to the reality of the current environment and further support of Games participants, Beijing 2022 and the Chinese authorities, in consultation with medical experts and IOC, refined the countermeasures with the following changes effective 23 January 2022," the IOC statement said.

Ladakh has reported 163 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 24,818 while the active cases in the union territory has come down to 1244, officials said.

The union territory has recorded 222 COVID-related deaths - 164 in Leh and 58 in Kargil - since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, they said.

There was no death reported from union territory on Monday, they said.

As many as 174 patients were cured and discharged from hospitals in Ladakh. Of these, 129 were discharged in Leh and 45 in Kargil, they said.

The West Bengal government has spent Rs 74 crore from its State Disaster Response Fund to settle around 15,000 claims of COVID-19 deaths out of the over 18,500 applications it has received so far, a minister said here on Tuesday.

At least 80 per cent of the claims have been cleared, and more will be done soon, he stated.

"In accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines, we are releasing the compensation amount as soon as we get clearance certificates from doctors," state disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan told PTI.

Researchers in the US have developed a low-cost smartphone based diagnostic tool for COVID-19 that combines the speed of over-the-counter antigen tests with the accuracy of PCR tests.

The Harmony COVID-19 test developed by researchers at the University of Washington in the US detects genetic material from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the researchers said.

Read full story here.

Puducherry witnessed a rise in number of daily coronavirus cases with 1911 fresh infections being reported during the last 24 hours ending 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

The new cases were reported at the end of examination of 5,191 samples. The total infection count stood at 1,55,254.

The active cases also shot up to 16,394 (223 in hospitals and 16,171 in home quarantine) as against 15,632 cases on Monday.

The fresh cases identified today were spread over Puducherry 1410, Karaikal 331, Mahe 19 and Yanam 151.

Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday recorded 668 fresh COVID-19 infections, the highest single-day tally this month, which pushed the caseload to 60,072, a senior official said here.

The frontier state had recorded 462 cases on Monday, the official said.

The toll increased to 283 after a tourist from Assam succumbed to the infection at a health facility in Tawang, State Surveillance Officer (SSO) Dr Lobsang Jampa said.

"Will make all efforts in that direction: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at a program on the sidelines of Republic Day, in Delhi

"After experiencing mild symptoms, I tested positive for COVID today. Requesting everyone who came into my contact to get themselves tested," wrote Gambhir on Twitter. 

With the addition of 1,745 coronavirus positive cases, the infection count in Thane district of Maharashtra rose to 6,94,580, an official said on Tuesday.

These new cases were reported on Monday, he said.

With 12 fatalities, the COVID-19 death toll in the district has gone up to 11,725. The mortality rate is 1.68 per cent, the official said.

The FDA said it was revoking emergency authorization for both drugs, which were purchased by the federal government and given to millions of Americans with COVID-19.

Read full story here.

India reported 2,55,874 new COVID-19 cases (50,190 less than yesterday), 614 deaths and 2,67,753 recoveries in the last 24 hours:

"There is decline in sale of petha as tourists are not coming here to see Taj Mahal," said president of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Petha Association:

COVID-19 active cases in Mizoram are currently at 10,704:

The FIR was registered while campaigning for BJP candidate Krishnapal S Malik, for flouting Election Commission's guidelines & COVID19 norms:

In the last 24 hours, 158 deaths were added to the COVID death list as per the new guidelines of central government. Death toll 51,987, active cases 2,60,271: State Government

"Educational institutions have been shut during COVID-19, whereas all shops, malls, & wine shops are open. Where does this govt want to take this state?" said a protestor

LG Anil Baijal to chair DDMA meeting over COVID situation in Delhi on January 27:

On January 10, Mandaviya has interacted with health ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu.