2 cases of Omicron variant detected in Karnataka: Govt
New Delhi, Nov 2: Two cases of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected in Karnataka, the Union government said on Thursday while asking people not to panic but follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get vaccinated without delay.
Both the patients are men aged 66 years and 46 years with mild symptoms. Severe symptoms have not been noted, an official said during a press conference.
He said following the detection of the two Omicron cases through the INSACOG network, all their primary and secondary contacts were traced in time and were being tested.
"We need not panic about Omicron detection but awareness is absolutely essential. Follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and avoid gatherings," the official said, adding that increased COVID-19 vaccine uptake was the need of the hour.
"Do not delay in getting fully vaccinated," he said.
The government stated that 373 cases of Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in 29 nations so far and India was monitoring the situation.
"It is too early to assess whether Omicron causes more severe infection or less compared to variants, including Delta," the official told the press conference quoting the World Health Organisation which has designated the new variant as a 'variant of concern'.
The press conference was informed that the South East Asian region, including India, has only 3.1 per cent of the world's COVID-19 cases in the last one week.
About vaccine coverage, the official said that 84.3 per cent of the adult population in India got the first dose while 49 per cent got the second dose.
Kerala and Maharashtra have over 10,000 active Covid cases while nine states and Union Territories have active cases between 1,000 and 10,000. The weekly Covid positivity rate was over 10 per cent in 15 districts and between 5 and 10 per cent in 18 districts, the official said.
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Trump’s fresh threat to bomb Iran amid reports of deal to end war
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
"Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before," Trump said.
According to Axios, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
It said many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped, but nothing is truly resolved.
