As India braced to guard against the Omicron variant of Covid-19, two travellers who flew in from South Africa to the Indian IT hub of Bengaluru have tested positive for the virus and their samples have been sent for genome sequencing to ascertain the mutant, officials said.

The government is preparing to introduce travel bans on South Africa and other countries where the Omicron variant of coronavirus has been found.

Bangladesh yesterday reported 155 Covid-19 cases while the coronavirus claimed overnight two lives.

Fears mounted yesterday that a highly-infectious new coronavirus strain was pushing its way into Europe as the world brought the shutters down to contain the new Omicron variant.

The Co-Chairs of The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response presented their findings recently in the new report titled Losing Time: End this pandemic and secure the future.

At least 87 dengue patients were hospitalised in 24 hours till 8:00 am today, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Two cases of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been detected in Britain, health minister Sajid Javid said on Saturday.

One hundred percent of the United Arab Emirates' population has received at least one dose of a vaccine against Covid-19, the health ministry has said.

Dutch health authorities said that 61 people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday tested positive for COVID-19, and they were conducting further testing early Saturday to see if any of the infections are with the recently discovered Omicron coronavirus variant.

Two people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Bangladesh today received another 17.90 lakh doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine from US under the COVAX facility.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a new coronavirus variant -- detected in South Africa -- to be "of concern" and named it Omicron.

The discovery of a new coronavirus variant sent a chill through much of the world Friday as nations raced to halt air travel, markets fell sharply and scientists held emergency meetings to weigh the exact risks, which were largely unknown.

Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, today said it has resumed exports of its Covid-19 vaccine Covishield to low- and middle-income countries with the first batch of consignment leaving its facility in western Indian city of Pune.

Three people died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8am today, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

At least 58 dengue patients were hospitalised in the last 24 hours till 8:00 am today, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Britain said on Friday that a newly identified coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa was considered by scientists to be the most significant one yet found and so it needed to ascertain whether or not it made vaccines ineffective.

Nine people have died from Covid-19 in 24 hours till 8:00am today, according to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Indonesia has issued a ban on civil servants and workers in state-owned and private companies taking leave around Christmas and New Year, in a strong pre-emptive measure to avoid a Covid-19 flare-up.

Official figures released Thursday show Germany has become the latest country to record 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.