Highlights: Formal sector emerged well from Covid-19 crisis, says CEA

The Karnataka government has made RT-PCR testing mandatory for all the international passengers arriving in the state, ANI reported state health minister Dr Sudhakar as saying.

The Goa government on Tuesday decided to make RT-PCR test and self-isolation mandatory for all the international passengers arriving in the coastal state while those coming from the 12 "high risk" countries, where the Omicron variant of coronavirus was detected, will be quarantined for 14 days.

No Inner Line Permit/ RAP/ PAP passes may be issued to foreign nationals visiting Sikkim: Home Department, Government of Sikkim

“There are 6 passengers who arrived from South Africa or other high-risk countries and tested positive for Covid-19; one each in Mumbai Corporation, Kalyan-Dombivali Corporation, Meera-Bhayandar Corporation & Pune; two from Nigeria in Pimpri-Chinchwad corporation,” news agency ANI quoted Maharashtra's public health department as saying,

All the samples have been sent for genomic sequencing and their contact tracing exercise is underway. 

Chief economic advisor, Dr Krishnamurthy Subramanian, on Tuesday said that the formal sector has emerged well from Covid-19 crisis. 

“Financial sector has emerged stronger & manufacturing sector shows that India in this decade should grow,” he added.

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday extended existing restrictions and relaxations in the state till December 15. 

Union home minister Amit Shah will spend a night near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan on December 4, news agency ANI reported people familiar with the matter as saying.

All existing Covid-19 restrictions and relaxations in West Bengal will continue till December 15. 

All outdoor activities, including movement of people and vehicles, shall continue to remain prohibited between 11pm to 5am. Only services relating to health services, law and order and essential commodities will be exempted. 

India's GDP grew by 8.4% in the second quarter of 2021-22, compared to a 7.4% contraction a year ago, according to government data.

A person, who had returned to Pune from Zambia on November 25, has tested positive for Covid-19, tweeted news agency ANI. His sample has been sent for genome sequencing and the report is awaited.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday that he held a meeting with officials over the omicron variant that has sparked widepsread concerns. “We need to be prepared as responsible governments...As far as the beds are concerned, we have prepared 30,000 oxygen beds and around 10,000 of these are ICU beds,” Arvind Kejriwal said during a press conference.

The European Medicines Agency would use expedited procedures to approve new versions of the Covid-19 vaccines to address the omicron variant should the current ones prove insufficient to fight it off, reported news agency Bloomberg.

“A lot of this work will have to go on at the company level at this stage, but I want to assure you that we’re working with the companies and with other regulators to make sure that we’re as prepared and ready as possible to deal with these consequences,” the news agency quoted Emer Cooke, the agency’s director, as telling the European Parliament on Tuesday.

The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till December 1.

“We do not have any information on the alleged meeting between former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh and his former associate Sachin Vaze,” news agency ANI quoted Mumbai Police commissioner Bipin Kumar Singh as saying on Tuesday.

The Delhi HC on Tuesday sought the Centre's reply on live streaming proceedings on pleas to recognise same sex marriages under special, Hindu, and  foreign marriage law in India.

The existing Covid-19 guidelines have been extended till December 31, 2021, the Union home ministry announced today. Also, in the wake of the emergence of omicron variant, the ministy has stressed on the strict compliance with the Union health ministry's advisory on November 25. 

No cases of the omicron Covid-19 variant has been detected in India so far, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

The Espalande Court in Mumbai cancelled the non-bailable warrant against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in the extortion case. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting to discuss the strategy for Parliament's Winter Session with top Union ministers including Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Narendra Singh Tomar, Piyush Goyal and Nirmala Sitharaman.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray would not be meeting Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee due to health related concerns, reports ANI citing the Shiv Sena party. Banerjee is on a visit to Mumbai and was scheduled to meet with Thackeray.

The Uttarakhand state government will conduct rapid antigen tests for Covid-19 on all people who will be attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in the state on December 4, reports ANI. 

Myanmar court delayed its verdict in the incitement trial of country's deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, reports AFP.

As many as 6,990 new Covid-19 cases and 190 deaths were reported across the country in the last 24 hours. The active caseload fell further to 100,543, the lowest in 546 days, the Union health ministry said. 

Union health secretary to hold review meeting with states regarding the omicron Covid-19 variant today at 10:30am.

With an overall Air Quality Index of 362, the air quality in Delhi remained at the ‘very poor’ category, reports ANI citing data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).