Haryana extends Covid-19 curbs to all districts

The Haryana government has extended the Covid-19 restrictions under ‘Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana’ to all districts in the state, reports ANI. 

The Delhi government said that the routine/elective surgeries in the city's Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH) and Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital (GTB) hospital, have been suspended till further orders due to the Covid-19 situation, reports ANI. 

With 46,406 new Covid-19 cases and 36 fatalities, Maharashtra's total caseload reached 7,081,067 and the death toll climbed to 141,737. No new Omicron infections were reported from the state. 

The NEET-UG counseling will begin from January 19, reports ANI citing Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya. 

With 28,867 new Covid-19 cases, Delhi's daily positivity rate stood at 29.21%, a bulletin from the health department showed. The city also saw 31 more deaths on the day and the death toll reached 25,271. 

Mumbai reported 13,702 new Covid-19 cases and six deaths in the last 24 hours, a significant fall from the 16,420 cases and seven deaths on the previous day. The city's active caseload also declined and was recorded at 95,123. 

Indian Railways has announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh for those dead after the Guwahati-Bikaner Express derailed. Also, ₹1 lakh to be given for those severely injured and ₹25,000 for those with minor injuries, reports ANI. 

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said that two teams have been deployed to aid in the rescue operations after the Guwahati-bound Bikaner Express derailed in West Bengal, reports ANI. The teams are expected to reach shortly, says NDRF DG Atul Karwal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting with chief ministers, said that close to 1.5 lakh oxygen ICU and high dependency unit beds were being prepared and more than 5,000 ambulances and 950 medical oxygen storage tanks have been adde.

“Several such steps have been taken to improve such emergency infrastructure and we must continue doing the same,” he said. 

At least four compartments of the Guwahati-bound Bikaner Express has derailed at Maynaguri in West Bengal. The train had departed from Patna. More details regarding deaths or injuries awaited.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the chief ministers of states virtually to  review the Covid-19 situation in their respective states, reports ANI. 

Two people were killed and eight others were injured after a jeep fell into a valley near Boduvalasa Ghat Road, Peddavalsa in Visakhapatnam, reports ANI.

Kerala reported 59 more cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant as the state's tally so far reached 480, health minister Veena George said. 

Of the new cases, 12 were found in Alappuzha, ten in Thrissur, eight in Pathanamthitta, seven in Ernakulam, six cases each in Kollam and Malappuram, five in Kozhikode, two each in Palakkad and Kasargod, and one case in Kannur. 

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) will contest the upcoming state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, reports ANI citing NCP leader Nawab Malik.

“We have decided to contest elections with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. One seat has been announced and talks are on for other seats. We will support the alliance which is forming in UP,” he said. 

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted a welcome message to Dharam Singh Saini and called him a “warrior of social justice” and said his inclusion has brought more enthusiasm and strength to the party. 

The spate of resignations continued for Uttar Pradesh BJP after Dharam Singh Saini, the Ayush minister, has submitted his resignation to the Governor.  The lawmaker from Nakud assembly constituency is the third minister to have quit from his post today. 

Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal said that India is committed to conclude the negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK in a year's time, reports ANI. 

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Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal asks people of Punjab to decide on chief ministerial face, launches phone number for suggestions.

Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge tests positive for Covid-19.

Mukesh Verma, a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh quits party ahead of next month's assembly polls in state. 7th MLA to quit party in three days.

30 BSF personnel, deployed on election duty in Uttarakhand's Kotdwar assembly constituency, have tested positive for Covid-19 and have been quarantined.

Singer Lata Mangeshkar, who tested Covid-19 positive, is still in the ICU ward but there has been a slight improvement in her health: Dr Pratit Samdani