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'Situation under control': Mumbai's Covid positivity rate remains below 1% amid Omicron scare

As the country battles with concerns over the new Covid-19 variant Omicron, Maharashtra reported eight new cases of the Omicron variant, including a three-and-half-year-old girl, taking the tally to 18, the state health department said. Although Mumbai has recorded five positive Omicron cases in the past week, the overall positivity rate is below 1%, with the daily caseload for the Covid-19 cases steady at less than 300 for the last four weeks, reported Hindustan Times. Meanwhile, officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday said that the situation is well under control. Dr Mangla Gomare, the executive health officer in the BMC, said that the daily positivity rate is below 1%, which means that the situation is satisfactory. “Regularly, more than a thousand samples are collected for RT-PCR tests from the Mumbai airport, out of which only five tested positive now. Most of them are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Not a single patient required oxygen support or ventilation, which clearly shows that the effects of this new variant have not been very intense," Gomare told HT. She also added that the intensity of the spread is also not very high as labelled by international experts. “We were told that the rate of transmission of Omicron is very high compared to earlier variants. However, we have tracked all the close contacts and 99% of them were negative. While during the emergence of the delta variant earlier this year, the rate of transmission was much higher as there would be multiple cases in one family," Gomare said. “Regularly, more than a thousand samples are collected for RT-PCR tests from the Mumbai airport, out of which only five tested positive now. Most of them are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Not a single patient required oxygen support or ventilation, which clearly shows that the effects of this new variant have not been very intense," Gomare told HT. She also added that the intensity of the spread is also not very high as labelled by international experts. “We were told that the rate of transmission of Omicron is very high compared to earlier variants. However, we have tracked all the close contacts and 99% of them were negative. While during the emergence of the delta variant earlier this year, the rate of transmission was much higher as there would be multiple cases in one family," Gomare said. “Regularly, more than a thousand samples are collected for RT-PCR tests from the Mumbai airport, out of which only five tested positive now. Most of them are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Not a single patient required oxygen support or ventilation, which clearly shows that the effects of this new variant have not been very intense," Gomare told HT. She also added that the intensity of the spread is also not very high as labelled by international experts. “We were told that the rate of transmission of Omicron is very high compared to earlier variants. However, we have tracked all the close contacts and 99% of them were negative. While during the emergence of the delta variant earlier this year, the rate of transmission was much higher as there would be multiple cases in one family," Gomare said. Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the Covid 19 task force in Maharashtra, said that the clinical outcome of the Omicron is mild. “Currently, Omicron in India including Maharashtra and Mumbai is sporadic and travel-related. There is no community transmission or cluster cases reported till now. Even in countries like South Africa, Denmark and the UK, which showed a spike in cases because of this variant, there has been a decline recently," said Joshi. “Still, we have a long way to go before coming to any conclusion and keep adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviour," said Joshi. On Sunday, 187 fresh cases were reported in Mumbai and a total of 40,031 tests were conducted in the city. A total of two Covid deaths were reported on Sunday and the recovery rate stood at 97%.

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COVID testing at airports: What are Rapid PCR tests and why is there a vast discrepancy in prices charged at different airports?

Rapid RT-PCR tests at airports: The coronavirus pandemic has made it a routine for passengers to get tested at airports. However, India’s airports range from state-run to privately managed and with this comes variety in the costs of the Rapid RT-PCR tests being conducted at such airports. Most of the major international airports, however, are managed by private entities, translating to international arrivals having to shell out more for the test, according to a report in IE. The Rapid PCR test at the Kozhikode airport in Kerala, for instance, costs travellers Rs 1,580. On the other hand, Hyderabad and Mumbai airports are charging nearly 2.5 times that – Rs 3,900. What’s more is that in Hyderabad and Mumbai, the state governments had to intervene to reduce the cost from earlier Rs 4,500, citing overpricing. For those who might not know, while a normal RT-PCR test takes up to 8-10 hours to show results, a Rapid PCR test shows the results in 1-2 hours. RT-PCR tests at airports: The coronavirus pandemic has made it a routine for passengers to get tested at airports. However, India’s airports range from state-run to privately managed and with this comes variety in the costs of the Rapid RT-PCR tests being conducted at such airports. Most of the major international airports, however, are managed by private entities, translating to international arrivals having to shell out more for the test, according to a report in IE. The Rapid PCR test at the Kozhikode airport in Kerala, for instance, costs travellers Rs 1,580. On the other hand, Hyderabad and Mumbai airports are charging nearly 2.5 times that – Rs 3,900. What’s more is that in Hyderabad and Mumbai, the state governments had to intervene to reduce the cost from earlier Rs 4,500, citing overpricing. For those who might not know, while a normal RT-PCR test takes up to 8-10 hours to show results, a Rapid PCR test shows the results in 1-2 hours.

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Covid-19 travel update: Austria ends lockdown restrictions for vaccinated people

Austria ended lockdown restrictions for vaccinated people across most of the country on Sunday, three weeks after re-imposing strict rules to combat a rising wave of coronavirus infections. The rules, which vary by region within the country, largely allow for the reopening of theaters, museums and other cultural and entertainment venues on Sunday. Shops will follow on Monday. Some regions are reopening restaurants and hotels on Sunday, while others will wait until later in the month. In all cases, there will be an 11 p.m. curfew for restaurants, and masks will still be required on public transportation and inside stores and public spaces. Chancellor Karl Nehammer last week called the move an “opening with a seatbelt,” giving each of Austria’s nine regions the ability to loosen or tighten restrictions based on the local situation. Unvaccinated people will still be subject to the lockdown restrictions and should remain at home for all but a handful of specific reasons, like buying groceries, going to the doctor or exercising. Since the start of the lockdown, new case numbers have plummeted in the small Alpine country. On Friday, Austria reported 367.5 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants, down from 1,102.4 on the first day of the lockdown in November. However, hospitalizations from the virus have not dropped as sharply as new case numbers. There are currently 567 coronavirus patients in intensive-care units across the country, only slightly down from 572 on the first day of the lockdown last month. Austrian officials have stressed that high rates of vaccination are necessary to control the virus. Just 67.7% of the population is fully vaccinated, a relatively low rate for Western Europe, and the government has introduced measures to put increasing pressure on unvaccinated individuals to get the vaccine.

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IRCTC's Shri Ramayan Yatra’ becomes world first train to get vegetarian certification

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC)'s 'Shri Ramayana Yatra' train on the Ramayana circuit commenced from Delhi's Safdarjung railway station on Sunday. In order to encourage vegetarian friendly railway services, the Sattvik Council of India in association with Bureau Veritas (global audit partner) provided ‘vegetarian certification’ to ‘Shri Ramayan Yatra’ yesterday at Safdarjung railway station, New Delhi.

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TAFI Meets Ministries Of Civil Aviation And Tourism

To chart out the revival of travel and tourism industry, a delegation of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) recently met with Civil Aviation Minister Jyotriditya Scindia and Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh and Addl. Director General, Ministry of Tourism Rupinder Brar. The TAFI delegation, comprised of Abbas Moiz, National General Secretary, Anil Kalsi, Jt. Secy. and Khushvinder Sarna, Chairman, Northern India Chapter, was led by Ajay Prakash, President, TAFI. The objective was to discuss the current situation and to seek assistance for the revival of the travel and tourism industry. Speaking after the meeting, Prakash shared his views on the interaction “It was a very satisfying meeting. We found the dynamic Minister very receptive to our concerns. He has a complete grasp of the business and genuinely sympathised with travel agents and tour operators on the losses suffered over the last 20 odd months. He has taken note of some critical issues and has assured us that he will get back to us shortly. He advised us that he is fully seized of the difficulty faced by agents and travellers alike on account of the suspension of regular scheduled flights and stated the government is closely monitoring the pandemic and will resume normal flights as soon as it is prudent. He directed us to take up some of our issues with the Tourism Ministry and assured us of his support once those matters were flagged to him by the Department of Tourism. Meeting him was a breath of fresh air and we are extremely optimistic,” Prakash informed. The delegation also met Singh and Brar. Arvind Singh said that some of the issues raised by TAFI were already on the radar and had been discussed with the finance minister. He also assured the Department’s support for the next TAFI Convention which, in a break from past practice, is to be held within the country. Brar reiterated what the Secretary had said about certain issues having been discussed with the FM and that she was optimistic about the future. She also made some suggestions regarding the TAFI Convention and assured the delegation that as a Founding member of FAITH, TAFI was an integral part of the Department’s initiatives and activities. “We have had a series of very productive meetings and we are hopeful that we shall soon see a resolution of some of our long pending issues,” Prakash concluded.

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Howard Johnson by Wyndham Udaipur Roop Nagar arrives in Rajasthan with 94 keys

Bhavgeet Hotel and Motel Private Limited, a hotel and real estate development company based in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, opened Howard Johnson by Wyndham Udaipur Roop Nagar with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for conversion of Venetia Hotel in Udaipur under the Howard Johnson by Wyndham brand. This property will be managed by NILE Hospitality. The hotel is situated within a short drive to the World Heritage Site of Udaipur Palace, Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake with the Aravalli Mountain Ranges as the backdrop. The property will provide connectivity and accessibility to many of the region’s popular tourist spots. The hotel features 94 contemporary rooms with a host of amenities including a welcoming lobby lounge, a modern all-day dining restaurant and trendy bar, meeting rooms and banquet halls of more than 4900 sq ft. The property also offers a business centre, a wellness spa facility, an outdoor rooftop infinity pool overlooking beautiful views and on-site parking. “We are extremely happy to partner with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts under the fast-expanding Howard Johnson by Wyndham brand. Being the first internationally branded hotel in the City, we look forward to setting high international service standards in the state of Rajasthan in line with the expectation of domestic and international guests” said Jitesh Kumawat, Director - Bhavgeet Hotel and Motel Private Limited. “We are pleased to accelerate our relationship as third party operator with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for this hotel and look forward to further strengthening this partnership. We also thank Kumawat family of Bhavgeet Hotel and Motel Private Limited on showing their trust in us and bringing us on board to manage this hotel on their behalf. We will strive to make Howard Johnson by Wyndham Udaipur a universally appealing destination and our guests to be comfortable and curious in the city of Udaipur. We are delighted that NILE's expansion into Rajasthan begins with Howard Johnson and are looking forward to steering hotel to its full operational, commercial and brand potential,” said Vikram Singh Chauhan, Founder & CEO– Nile Hospitality LLP. “Udaipur is an important leisure destination in North India and we are excited to open our second hotel in the city of lakes and ninth in the state of Rajasthan with our popular Howard Johnson by Wyndham brand. This hotel will further strengthen our presence in North India and support our growth momentum across North India,” added Nikhil Sharma, Regional Director Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts EMEA.

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