Massive surge in all States; Delhi registers 17,335 infections, nine deaths, positivity shoots to 17.73%
India’s daily Covid count scaled a new peak on Friday, with more than 1 lakh cases reported for the first time this year. The case count of 1,17,000 is the highest since early June last year.
Almost all the States led by Maharashtra witnessed a massive surge, but most of the cases are asymptomatic. Many States have now imposed a weekend lockdown to restrict the movement of the public.
After sweeping Delhi and Mumbai, Covid-19 is now surging in Karnataka. The State on Friday registered a steep rise recording 8,449 new infections in the past 24 hours, ANI reported. The new cases were 67.93 per cent higher than Thursday’s count of 5,031 cases. Four people died due to the disease in the past 24 hours, and the case fatality rate in the State is currently 0.04 per cent.
A total of 3,007 cases of Omicron variant of coronavirus have been detected across 23 States and Union Territories so far, out of which 1,199 have recovered or migrated. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 876 cases followed by Delhi at 465, Karnataka 333, Rajasthan 291, Kerala 284 and Gujarat 204.
India’s Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and 3 crore on June 23.
“The single-day rise in coronavirus infections was recorded above one lakh after 214 days, taking India’s total tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,52,26,386 which includes 3,007 cases of Omicron reported across 27 States and UTs,” according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday. The country saw a single-day rise of 1,17,100 new coronavirus infections, while the active cases increased to 3,71,363, the highest in around 120 days, according to the data updated at 8 am.
The death toll climbed to 4,83,178 with 302 fresh fatalities, the data stated. The country last reported over one lakh cases on June 7 last year when 1,00,636 infections were recorded, said an official from the Union Health Ministry.
On Friday, Delhi recorded 17,335 fresh Covid-19 infections and nine deaths.
Surprisingly, the positivity rate also rose to 17.73 per cent. Delhi has now 6,912 containment zones. Adjoining Haryana logs 3,748 fresh cases, positivity rate at 8.11 per cent today; Omicron case tally at 123.
On the other hand, the daily Covid-19 infections touched a staggering tally of 40,925 cases in Maharashtra on Friday, even as no fresh cases of Omicron were registered in the state during the day.
A day after the state recorded 36,265 new cases, as many as 40,925 people tested positive for the Covid-19 on Friday, taking the total number of cases from 67,93297 to 68,34,222. As many as 20 Covid-19 deaths were reported from various parts of the state.
Of the 40,925 fresh cases recorded in the state, Mumbai accounted for 20,971 Covid-19 cases on Friday. With the daily cases having risen from 20,181 on Thursday to 20,971 cases on Friday, the total number of cases in the metropolis rose from 8,53,809 to 8,74,780.
As Mumbai has shown a substantial increase in the number of daily Covid-19 cases recorded past one week, the island locality of Mahim recorded a maximum of 370 cases, taking the total number of cases recorded in this locality to 12,452. Dadar recorded as many as 250 new cases which took the total number of cases to 11,799. Mumbai’s Dharavi locality, which is the largest slum in Asia, recorded 150 new cases, taking the total number of cases in this area to 770.
Mumbai accounted for a maximum of 91,731 active cases, while there were 22,510 active cases in Thane. There were 11,675 active cases in Pune, followed by Raigad (3553), Palghar (3473), Nashik (1867), Nagpur (1484), Ahmednagar (660) and Satara (614).
West Bengal reports 18,213 new infections and 18 deaths and its active case tally reached 51,384. Among the neighboring states Jharkhand reported 3,825 new cases, 8 deaths, and 866 recoveries in the last 24 hours, whereas Assam reported 1,167 new cases, 2 deaths, & positivity rate of 3.32 per cent, in the last 24 hours.
Kerala continued to report high numbers registering 5,296 new positive cases and 189 Covid-19-related deaths on Friday, taking the total count to 52, 64,235 and the death count to 49,305.
Of the deaths, 35 were recorded over the last few days, and 154 were designated as Covid-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court.
Tamil Nadu reports 8,981 new cases, 984 recoveries, and 8 deaths, in the last 24 hours. Active cases are 30,817.
Meanwhile, the Gujarat Government on Friday decided to impose night curfew in 10 districts from 10 pm to 6 am. The State on Friday reported 5,396 new Covid-19 cases, taking the active cases in the state to 18,583. There was no new case of Omicron reported in the State, the health department bulletin informed.
As Covid cases continue to move to northwards, the Government is speeding up its vaccination drive as a preventive measure. “Over 90 per cent of the eligible population in India has received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. He added that over 1.5 crore children aged between 15-17 have been given a dose since the launch of the special vaccination drive for them.
Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the national Capital is the first to witness a surge in infections because most of the international flights come to the Capital.
“That is the reason we have implemented stricter measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 as compared to other States. Some people may say this is not needed but it is better than repenting later,” he said.
“A total of 1,091 patients are admitted in Delhi hospitals, of which 869 are from Delhi,” he added. Compared to the first wave of the corona, this time the number of patients admitted to the hospital has reduced by 6 times. This is the fifth Covid wave in Delhi, and its peak is expected in a few weeks or days.
In Delhi, there have also been cases of some health workers, such as doctors and other medical personnel, testing positive, but in very small numbers. Meanwhile, the health department of the Government has asked all city government-run hospitals to cancel leaves, barring maternity and medical leaves.