Here are the top 5 news updates of December 3, 2021:
Nine international travellers, including one from South Africa, who arrived at Mumbai International Airport between November 10 - December 2 have tested positive for COVID-19, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) today. The BMC has sent the samples of the patients for genome sequencing to find out if they are positive for the new COVID-19 variant Omicron. Meanwhile, the Centre on Thursday informed that two people have tested positive for the Omicron variant in Karnataka. The new variant of COVID-19 was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year.
The Supreme Court today refused to entertain the bail plea filed on health grounds by jailed businessman Rakesh Wadhawan, accused of money laundering in the multi-crore rupees Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank fraud case, saying that he has been in hospital more than the jail. A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli permitted senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Wadhawan, to withdraw the bail plea to approach the high court. The Bombay High Court on October 14 had refused to grant bail to Wadhawan. Wadhawan, founder of Housing Development Infrastructure Limited (HDIL), was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2019 in the case.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today asked the opposition parties to "stop playing politics" over oxygen shortage during the second wave of COVID-19 infections and take note of the Centre's efforts to ramp production of the life-saving gas to meet the surge in demand. Addressing the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour, he said the Union government made "all possible efforts" to ensure the availability of oxygen and increased its production following a rise in demand during the second wave of the pandemic. Mandaviya also hit out at the opposition over claims about deaths due to oxygen shortage during that period, saying the Centre sought from states data on the matter and only the Punjab government replied that there were four suspected cases of such deaths and a probe into them was underway.
As many as 12 patients suspected to be infected with the COVID-19 'Omicron' variant have been admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) hospital in Delhi so far, news agency ANI quoted sources as saying. As per the sources, eight Omicron suspects were admitted to LNJP hospital yesterday. "Four suspects have been admitted today, out of which, two have been tested COVID-19 positive while the test results for the other two are awaited," stated sources. Of these four suspects, two have come from the UK, one from France and one from the Netherlands, sources added. Further, they informed that the samples of all four patients will be sent for genome sequencing.
Equity benchmark Sensex plunged 765 points today, dragged by losses in index-heavyweights Reliance Industries, HDFC twins and Kotak Bank, after India reported its first case of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The 30-share BSE index ended 764.83 points or 1.31 per cent lower at 57,696.46. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty tanked 204.95 points or 1.18 per cent to 17,196.70. PowerGrid was the top loser in the Sensex pack, shedding over 4 per cent, followed by Reliance Industries, Asian Paints, Kotak Bank, Tech Mahindra and Bharti Airtel. On the other hand, L&T, IndusInd Bank, Tata Steel and UltraTech Cement were among the gainers.
