Covid cases in India for the first time this year crossed 4,000 mark with 4,435 fresh infections reported in the past 24 hours, taking the active caseload to 21,091, according to the Union Health Ministry data. This 4,435 fresh Covid cases in India is the highest single-day rise in 163 days. A total of 4,777 cases were recorded on September 25 last year.
The death toll at 15 was also on the higher side, as per the data updated on Wednesday at 8 am. Four deaths were reported from Maharashtra; one death each was from Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Puducherry and Rajasthan; and four were reconciled by Kerala.
The States which have come under scanner are Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab. These have witnessed 13-fold rise in daily positive cases in just three weeks.
Health experts said coronavirus infections in India are doubling every 4-5 days, indicating that the pandemic is still far from being under control despite the return of near-normalcy across society and the economy.
The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium identifies Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16 as the leading variant in India, making up 60 per cent of cases. The World Health Organization (WHO) too has sounded an alarm in this direction warning that the sub-variant is the virus ‘one need to watch’ in India.
Though the Health Ministry has advised people not to lower their guard it also at the same time said that Omicron’s sub-variant which is circulating in the country has not led to the increase in hospitalisations and there is no need to worry.