Coronavirus news updates LIVE: Negative RT-PCR mandatory for passengers arriving from China, 5 other places, PTI reports

Coronavirus news updates highlights, December 28,2022: States have strengthened their surveillance with random sampling of 2 per cent of foreign passengers taking place at airports. Those from China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand are also required to submit a negative test report.

Passengers undergo thermal screening at the airport amid a global surge in Covid-19 cases. (Sourced/Mansukh Mandaviya Twitter)

India has renewed its focus on Covid-19 in wake of a fresh outbreak - considered to be the worst in three years of pandemic - in China and several other countries. The Centre has urged citizens to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing of masks and maintaining physical distance. With the year-end festive season currently in full swing, measures have been taken to check any infection spike. In this regard, Karnataka has made masks mandatory in restaurants and bars, movie theaters, pubs and clubs, and has directed New Year's celebrations to end at 1am....Read More

Follow all the updates here:

• 28 Dec 2022, 10:08:13 PM IST

  No physical classes up to Class 8 in Noida schools till Jan 1: Report

  The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration has ordered suspension of physical classes till January 1 for students up to Class 8 across all schools in Noida and Greater Noida in view of cold weather, an official said on Wednesday. Read more

• 28 Dec 2022, 08:05:28 PM IST

  India to make negative Covid test mandatory for travellers from these 5 countries: Report

  Passengers arriving from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore- the countries that have reported massive surge in Covid cases might require mandatory negative RT-PCR tests from next week, news agency PTI reported. Read more

• 28 Dec 2022, 08:04:22 PM IST

  Maharashtra reports 36 new cases, one death; active count 164

  Maharashtra reported 36 new coronavirus positive cases on Wednesday taking the overall infection tally to 81,36,588, news agency PTI reported, citing the health department. The death toll rose to 1,48,416 with one fatality in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra had reported 26 new cases and zero fresh fatality on Tuesday.

• 28 Dec 2022, 06:06:17 PM IST

  Negative RT-PCR mandatory for passengers arriving from China, 5 other places from next week: Govt

  The government is likely to make negative RT-PCR reports mandatory for passengers arriving from China and five other places from next week, PTI reported citing official sources.

• 28 Dec 2022, 05:50:05 PM IST

  Serum Institute of India to provide 2 crore doses of Covishield vaccine for free

  Serum Institute of India (SII) will provide two crore doses of Covishield vaccine to Centre free of cost amid rise in COVID-19 cases in some countries, PTI reported citing official sources.

• 28 Dec 2022, 04:12:24 PM IST

  39 out of 6000 Delhi's international passengers tested positive for Covid in 2 days

  39 out of 6000 Delhi's international passengers tested positive for Covid in 2 days at Delhi airport. According to news agency PTI reports, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya will visit IGI airport tomorrow. 

• 28 Dec 2022, 03:56:00 PM IST

  Next 40 days crucial in India's Covid journey

  The next 40 days are going to be crucial as India may see a surge of Covid-19 cases in mid of January going by previous trends, ANI reported quoting official Sources. Read more

• 28 Dec 2022, 03:20:00 PM IST

  2 more test positive for Covid in Tamil Nadu

  Two more passengers, who returned from Dubai and Cambodia, tested positive for Covid-19 at the Chennai airport on Wednesday, taking the total number of returnees testing for the virus so far in Tamil Nadu to four, according to news agency ANI.

• 28 Dec 2022, 01:39:39 PM IST

  Taiwan joins India, Japan in testing arrivals for Covid at airport

  Taiwan on Wednesday announced that it will test inbound travellers for Covid-19 starting January 1 in wake of a surge of infections in China. Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Centre said all passengers arriving on direct flights from China as well as by boat at two offshore islands will mandatorily need PCR tests upon entry, Reuters reported.

• 28 Dec 2022, 12:11:11 PM IST

  China will soon begin issuing new passports: Report

  China has said that it will begin issuing new passports as it dismantles anti-virus travel restrictions, triggering a potential millions of tourists out of the Asian country for next month's Lunar New Year holiday, AP reported. China stopped issuing passports at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020. Read more.

• 28 Dec 2022, 11:37:11 AM IST

  Hong Kong scraps mandatory on arrival Covid test: Report

  Hong Kong has reportedly scrapped the compulsory RT-PCR test on arrival for international passengers. Local broadcaster TVB said on Wednesday citing sources that the vaccine pass needed to enter most of the city's venues would also be scrapped, Reuters reported.

• 28 Dec 2022, 11:10:15 AM IST

  India sees slight increase in daily Covid count with 188 fresh cases

  India on Wednesday logged as many as 188 new Covid-19 cases, a marginal rise from 157 recorded the day before, the Union health ministry's 8am bulletin showed. The total tally of the country has now reached 4,46,77,647. There has been a rise of 47 active cases in the span of 24 hours.

• 28 Dec 2022, 08:45:56 AM IST

  Countries taking measures to combat Covid spike as China prepares to reopen borders on January 8

  As China prepares to abandon its strict ‘Zero Covid’ policy in the face of severe backlash and protests, and reopen its borders on January 8, countries across the globe are implementing or considering measures to check an infection spike by testing or restricting travellers from the Asian nation. India and Japan have made a negative Covid-19 test report mandatory for passengers coming from China. The Bloomberg reported that the US is considering new precautions for people entering the country from China in wake of a deadly fresh outbreak.