Omicron shadow hangs over festive season, states impose lockdowns

New Delhi: With the Omicron threat looming over the festive season, Kerala has restricted movement from 10 pm to 5 pm starting from December 30 till January 2.

The first recipients of the booster or ‘precautionary’ dose of the coronavirus vaccines will likely be those over the age of 60 with associated comorbidities, and those who got their second dose nine months previously, CoWIN platform Chief Dr RS Sharma said. Children between 15-18, who are now eligible for the shot, will be able to register on the CoWIN platform from Jan 1, he added.

The total number of cases of the Omicron variant in India rose to 578 on Monday, according to data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Meanwhile, 6,531 new cases and 7,141 recoveries were reported in the last 24 hours. The active caseload currently stands at 75,841, while the recovery rate stands at 98.40 per cent.

The decision to keep the interval between the second and third doses at nine months has been based on the findings of five scientific studies carried out by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad.

Meanwhile, amid a surge in cases in the National Capital, the Delhi government has announced a night curfew between 11 pm and 5 am starting Monday.

“It was decided in a highlevel meeting today that a night curfew needs to be reinstated in the city to stop the spread of Covid. This will come into force on Monday night between 11 pm and 5 am,” said an official. A detailed order listing the exemptions and other conditions is awaited. —(Agencies)