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Cyclonic storm Jawad’ is likely to weaken into a deep depression before it reaches the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast by Saturday noon, officials said. The development comes as a relief for the eastern state already battered by two cyclones in the last one year – Gulab’ and Yaas’. It is likely to weaken gradually and move northwards during the next 12 hours and then north-northwards along the Odisha coast, reaching close to Puri as a deep depression, the India Meteorological Department said. Subsequently, it is expected to weaken further and continue…

Amid growing concerns over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, a parliamentary committee has recommended that the efficacy of Covid vaccines must be evaluated and the government conduct more research to examine the need for booster doses to contain the new strain The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, which presented its report on Friday, also said that concerns with regard to the new strain developing immunoescape mechanism should be critically addressed In view of loss of life during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the committee noted that the measures…

The “ultra-risk” nations are South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lasotho, Zimbabwe and Eswatini. Passengers from three “ultra-risk” nations will undergo mandatory institutional quarantine under the revised airport rules in Maharashtra in view of Covid’s Omicron variant. Passengers from “at risk” nations have to follow central rules. Here are the Top 10 points in this big story: The “ultra-risk” nations are South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Passengers from these nations “shall be deboarded on priority…. (and) sent to mandatory 7 days’ institutional quarantine,” the new rules say.. The rule will also apply…

The patients have been isolated and their samples have been sent for genome testing, Karnataka said amid concern over the highly infectious Omicron strain that has set off global alarm. Five contacts of an Omicron patient – a doctor from Bengaluru — have turned out to be Covid positive, Karnataka announced today, shortly after the Union health ministry said the first patients of the new Covid variant have been found in the state. The patients have been isolated and their samples have been sent for genome testing, Karnataka said amid…