Highlights: Delhi records jump in Covid-19 cases with 1,796 new infections

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• 31 Dec 2021, 09:44:06 PM IST

  Delhi records jump in Covid-19 cases with 1,796 new infections

• 31 Dec 2021, 08:58:12 PM IST

  Tamil Nadu restricts malls, theatres at 50% capacity till Jan 31

  Amid rising COVID cases, Tamil Nadu Govt announces new restrictions effective till Jan 31 -- malls, jewellery & textile shops, malls, theatres, beauty parlours, showrooms, amusement parks, and metro trains to operate at 50% capacity.

• 31 Dec 2021, 07:54:29 PM IST

  Maharashtra minister Yashomati Thakur tests positive for Covid-19

  Maharashtra Minister Yashomati Thakur says she has tested positive for Covid-19. The minister says she is asymptomatic and requests all who came in contact with her to get tested.

• 31 Dec 2021, 07:44:27 PM IST

  Maharashtra reports massive spike in Covid infections, over 8,000 new cases in last 24 hours

  Maharashtra reports 8,067 fresh Covid-19 cases, including 4 Omicron cases; 1,766 recoveries, and 8 deaths today.

  Active cases stands at 24,509 while the total recoveries are 65,09,096.

• 31 Dec 2021, 06:36:58 PM IST

  Sikkim announces Covid restrictions till January 10

  Sikkim announces new restrictions till January 10, 2022 amid Omicron threat.

  Pubs, discos, cinema halls, restaurants, fast food centres, bakeries, gymnasiums, barbershops, spas, and salons to operate with only 50% of seating capacity.

• 31 Dec 2021, 06:14:59 PM IST

  Mumbai's Dharavi reports 34 fresh Covid-19 cases, as per BMC data

  34 fresh COVID19 cases reported in Dharavi in the last 24 hours, active cases in the area rise to 95, says Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

• 31 Dec 2021, 05:10:06 PM IST

  Karnataka logs 23 new Omicron cases, including 19 foreign returnees

  "23 new cases of Omicron confirmed in Karnataka today, of which 19 are international travellers from USA, Europe, Middle East and Africa," says state health minister Dr Sudhakar K.

• 31 Dec 2021, 04:21:45 PM IST

  No proposal to extend ITR filing due date: Govt

  There is no proposal to extend the date for income tax return filing, says Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj, Govt of India

• 31 Dec 2021, 03:39:56 PM IST

  GST on textile to remain at 5%, announces Sitharaman

  The GST Council meeting has decided to retain the status quo on GST rate on textile to 5% and not raise it to 12%. The issue of GST rate on textile will be sent to the tax rate rationalization committee which will submit its report by February, announces FM Nirmala Sitharaman. Read more

• 31 Dec 2021, 03:36:31 PM IST

  Kerala's Omicron tally rises, 44 new cases recorded in last 24 hours

  Kerala records 44 fresh confirmed cases of Omicron, taking total cases of the coronavirus variant to 107 in the state, says Kerala Health Minister Veena George.

• 31 Dec 2021, 03:00:47 PM IST

  Omicron has started replacing Delta variant in India, reports ANI quoting official sources

• 31 Dec 2021, 02:24:43 PM IST

  Section 144 in Mumbai extended till Jan 15 in view of Omicron

  Restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC extended in Mumbai till Jan 15. Mumbai Police prohibits citizens from visiting beaches, open grounds, sea faces, promenades, gardens, parks, or similar public places, from 5pm to 5am.

• 31 Dec 2021, 01:33:04 PM IST

  Centre to defer GST hike on textiles from 5% to 12%

  The GST council has decided to defer the hike in GST rate on textiles from 5% to 12%.

• 31 Dec 2021, 01:27:46 PM IST

  Serum Institute applies for full authorisation of Covishield

  Serum Institute Of India has applied to the country's drug regulator and the health ministry for full approval of its Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, the company's chief executive said on Friday.

• 31 Dec 2021, 12:53:44 PM IST

  Omicron is the main Covid variant in France

  An official told news agency AFP on Friday that Omicron is the main Covid-19 variant in France. 

• 31 Dec 2021, 12:40:33 PM IST

  Covid-19 weakening in Uttar Pradesh, but vigilance necessary: CM Yogi

  Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday Covid-19 is weakening in the state and urged people to not worry about the coronavirus pandemic situation. Read more

• 31 Dec 2021, 12:29:53 PM IST

  Puducherry to observe night curfew till January 31

  The Puducherry government said on Friday that a night curfew has been imposed in the Union Territory till January 31. 

• 31 Dec 2021, 11:25:32 AM IST

  Nirmala Sitharaman chairs 46th GST council meet

  Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday chaired the 46th meeting of the Central Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council in New Delhi. Read more

• 31 Dec 2021, 11:11:30 AM IST

  Waterlogging reported in parts of Chennai after heavy rains

• 31 Dec 2021, 10:57:39 AM IST

  Delhi's air quality in ‘very poor category’ 

  The national capital's air quality slipped to the very poor quality on Friday. According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the AQI was at 308 during morning hours. 

• 31 Dec 2021, 10:09:42 AM IST

  Bihar reports first case of Omicron variant; patient recently visited Delhi

  Bihar has reported its first Omicron case in a 26-year-old man as the coronavirus variant continues to spread at an alarming rate across India. Read more

• 31 Dec 2021, 10:01:54 AM IST

  Protesting doctors call off strike after meeting with police

  The protesting doctors belonging to the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) called off the strike following a meeting with the police, reports ANI. 

  “We had a meeting with Joint CP last night. Withdrawal of FIR process started (in connection with ITO protest). After 12 pm today we will call off our strike against the delay in NEET 2021 counselling,” said Dr Manish, president of FORDA. 

  He also said that patients were suffering and many surgeries have been deferred due to which the strike has been called off.

• 31 Dec 2021, 09:40:21 AM IST

  1,270 Omicron cases in India, Maharashtra adds 450 to tally

  The number of Covid-19 cases pertaining to the Omicron variant in the country stood at 1,270, according to the Union health ministry. Maharashtra and Delhi with 450 and 320 cases respectively, added the most to the national tally.

• 31 Dec 2021, 09:23:21 AM IST

  India sees major surge in daily Covid tally with 16,764 cases

  India's daily tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) surged for a third straight day after 16,764 cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, pushing the caseload to 34,838,804. 

• 31 Dec 2021, 08:52:14 AM IST

  Nirmala Sitharaman to chair 46th meeting of GST Council today

  Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will on Friday chair the 46th meeting of the GST Council in Delhi. The meeting will be attended by MoS finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, and finance ministers of States and Union Territories (UTs). 

• 31 Dec 2021, 07:58:23 AM IST

  Amit Shah in Ayodhya today, to visit temples and address rally

  Union home minister Amit Shah will be in Ayodhya on Friday where he will pay a visit to Ram Lalla and the Hanumangarhi temple and address a rally to bolster the Bharatiya Janata Party’s position ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh next year. Read more

• 31 Dec 2021, 07:34:36 AM IST

  Mizoram reports 243 new Covid-19 cases; tally over 141,000

• 31 Dec 2021, 06:45:19 AM IST

  Arvind Kejriwal to lead AAP's 'Shanti March' in Punjab's Patiala today

  The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will take out a ‘Shanti March’ in Punjab's Patiala on Friday, which comes days after the state witnessed the Ludhiana district court bombing and the sacrilege attempt at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Read more

• 31 Dec 2021, 06:18:15 AM IST

  Spain sees record surge in daily Covid cases at 161,688

  Daily tally of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Spain saw a record surge after 161,688 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said on Friday.