India recorded 9,195 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday even as country’s overall tally of Omicron cases rose to 781 as per the latest data released by the Union Health Ministry.
With 9,195 new Covid-19 cases, the country’s active caseload rose to 77,002.
Ahead of the roll out of the ‘precautionary’ dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to the elderly with associated comorbidities, the Union Health Ministry said that persons aged 60 and above will not be required to produce any certificate from a doctor to avail the third dose.
On Tuesday, the drug regulator granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Molnupiravir, the world’s first Covid-19 pill. The regulator also granted EUA to Hyderabad-based Biological E. for Corbevax, India’s first indigenously developed RBD protein sub-unit vaccine against Covid-19, and to Serum Institute of India for Covovax, the recombinant nanoparticle protein-based vaccine that has been developed by the American biotechnology firm Novavax.
Meanwhile, states across the country continued to impose stricter covid regulations to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant. In Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared a “yellow alert” on Tuesday. Under the new restrictions, all educational institutions, cinema halls and gyms will remain closed, wedding and funeral gatherings will be capped at 20, and Metro trains, buses and restaurants will operate at 50 per cent seating capacity.
