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On Friday, India has logged 9,216 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours and active caseload stands at 99,976, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The country’s total tally of Covid-19 cases has climbed to 3,46,15,757, while the active cases increased to 99,976, according to the Health Ministry data. With 391 fresh fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 4,70,115, said the data. The active cases comprise 0.29 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.35 per cent, said the ministry. 

ICMR 

An official from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that Bharat Biotech’s Covid vaccine ‘Covaxin’ may be more effective against the highly-mutating Omicron variant. The official was quoted as saying by the Hindu Business Line, "the jab is likely to be more effective against Omicron compared to other available vaccines. Covaxin, a virion-inactivated vaccine covers the entire virus and can work against this highly mutated new variant." 

Testing at airports

Staff at airports in Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore have started compulsory testing of passengers arriving from 11 'at risk' countries in view of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron. On Thursday, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said, "The airports in Chennai, Madurai, and Coimbatore have started compulsory testing of passengers arriving from 11 'at risk' countries where Omicron variant of coronavirus is spreading rapidly", reported ANI.  

CM Bommai to conduct high-level meeting 

A high-level meeting with experts and senior officers has been convened on Friday to discuss the measures to be taken in the light of two Omicron cases reported in the state and formulate new guidelines, said the Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

While speaking to media persons in New Delhi he said, "the Centre has confirmed two Omicron cases based on the report of some Covid test samples sent to the National Center For Biological Sciences. But a detailed report is awaited." "I have instructed our Health minister and the Chief Secretary to obtain the detailed report. An emergency meeting has been convened tomorrow with experts and senior officers," he said.