The Indian capital will remain under lockdown at weekends after it recorded a sharp rise in coronavirus cases blamed on the Omicron variant.
Delhi and southern Karnataka state announced the drastic measures after night curfews and curbs on public movement failed to curtail the spread of the highly transmissible strain.
More than 58,000 fresh infections were reported in India on Wednesday, the health ministry said, a six-fold rise in seven days.
About 500 fatalities were also reported, taking the total death toll to 483,000 and coronavirus caseload to nearly 35 million.
Nearly 10,665 of these cases were from Delhi, where infection rates were below 500 until Tuesday last week. India confirmed it's first Omicron death on Wednesday.
A man identified as 73-year-old Laxminarayan Nagar from Udaipur in western Rajasthan state died on December 31, health ministry official Luv Agarwal confirmed.
"Our protocol says that we treat it as a covid death if they test positive, here also since he was tested positive for Omicron, we treat it as Omicron death," Mr Agarwal said.
The state government had previously claimed that he died of non-Covid complications and was suffering from comorbidities.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also tested positive. The capital's health minister Satyendar Jain said 81 per cent of the cases reported there were the Omicron strain.
He said the third wave of the pandemic had already set in and the city would see 10,000 fresh cases by Wednesday evening.
The state government imposed a night curfew last month, closed schools and colleges, and ordered markets and public transport to operate at half their capacity.
But the earlier measures failed to curtail the spread of the virus. The proportion of tests coming back positive hit 10 per cent, forcing the government to bring back the curfew.
“There will be a weekend curfew in Delhi. Coronavirus is spreading fast, " Mr Jain said, but urged people not to panic.
Delhi was placed under a coronavirus curfew last year after a wave of Covid-19 infections, with daily cases passing the 30,000 mark.
The second wave driven by the local Delta variant hit the city of 20 million residents and large swathes of India in April and May. It left the country's underfunded healthcare system on the brink of collapse.
As infection rates shot up, regional governments imposed lockdowns, causing an exodus of millions of migrant casual workers from big cities such as Delhi and Mumbai in a repeat of India's first nationwide lockdown in 2020.
Critics blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's central and regional government for acting late despite warnings of a second wave. They say the government failed to save tens of thousands of lives as hospitals and crematoriums ran out of space across the country.
But in recent weeks, authorities have been proactive in dealing with the surge in cases amid the threat of a third wave.
Health experts and the government have said the country is likely to face a third wave around February, driven by the Omicron variant first detected in South Africa.
So far, death and hospital admission rates have remained low but experts say authorities cannot let their guard down.
“My sister has been infected … I feel it is a right decision to impose the curbs considering what happened in the last wave,” Aditi Singh, a resident of Delhi, told The National.
Authorities in Karnataka said a state-wide weekend curfew will be imposed to battle the infection surge. The state reported the country's first case of Omicron on December 2.
It has since recorded a rapid rise in the number of infections, with more than 2,000 reported in the last 24 hours.
Officials in western Mumbai, where more than 10,500 cases were reported on Tuesday, said a lockdown could be imposed if daily infection numbers exceed 20,000.
It made RT-PCR tests mandatory for all international passengers arriving at Mumbai Airport and imposed a compulsory seven-day home quarantine for those who test negative and institutional quarantine for positive patients.
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Company%20profile
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RESULTS
5pm: Watha Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Dalil De Carrere, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Mohamed Daggash (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Miracle Maker, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Pharitz Al Denari, Bernardo Pinheiro, Mahmood Hussain
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Oss, Jesus Rosales, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Almajhaz, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: AF Lewaa, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qaiss Aboud.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Facebook | Our website | Instagram
Sunday's games
Liverpool v West Ham United, 4.30pm (UAE)
Southampton v Burnley, 4.30pm
Arsenal v Manchester City, 7pm
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
'Moonshot'
Director: Chris Winterbauer
Stars: Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse
Rating: 3/5
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
CREW
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ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
