India reported 1,72,433 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections to over 4.16 crore today. According to the government, the active cases decreased to reach 15,33,921– 3.67 per cent of the total infections.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 10.99 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate was 12.98 per cent, according to the health ministry.
Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 167.87 cr vaccine doses have been administered so far, the health ministry said.
Covid recovery rate currently at 95.14% with 2,59,107 recoveries recorded in the last 24 hours. With this, the total recoveries stand at 3,97,70,414.
During the same period, 15,69,449 tests were conducted, the ministry apprised.
The number of active coronavirus cases in the national capital has registered a fall of over 60 per cent in the last one week, even as DDMA authorities are slated to meet on Friday to discuss further relaxations in Covid-19 curbs in view of improving situation.
While daily cases count, positivity rate, and several other metrics have shown a downtrend in the past several days, the number of deaths reported here due to Covid, has not abated much in the last few weeks.
On January 26, the daily cases tally had stood at 7,498 with a positivity rate of 10.59 per cent, and 29 deaths were registered. The active cases tally on that day was 38,315 while the cumulative death cases had stood at 25,710, as per official data.
On February 2, the daily cases tally came down to 3,028 while the positivity rate slipped to 4.73 per cent, and 27 deaths were registered. The active cases tally on that day had fallen to 14,870 while the cumulative death cases had stood at 25,919.
So, 210 fatalities have been reported in the last one week, as per official figures, while the active cases count has reduced by a margin of about 61 per cent.
The COVID-19 death count in Ladakh climbed to 226 on Thursday following one more fatality in Leh, while 214 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 26,400. The number of active cases in Ladakh stands at 1,140 which includes 698 cases in Leh district and 442 cases in Kargil. The Union Territory has recorded 226 Covid-related deaths — 167 in Leh and 59 in Kargil — since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.
Odisha on Thursday recorded 3,629 new COVID-19 cases, five per cent more than the previous day, which pushed the tally to 12,59,405, the health department said in its bulletin.
Eighteen patients, including three each in Khurda, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur and Sundargarh, succumbed to the infection, the bulletin said.
Mumbai reported 1,128 new coronavirus infections and 10 deaths on Wednesday. The financial capital of the country recorded more than 1,000 cases after a gap of two days.
The caseload in the metropolis rose to 10,48,521 while death count reached 16,640, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release.
On Tuesday, the city had reported 803 new cases and seven fatalities.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported a dip in new COVID-19 cases, as 18 fresh infections were recorded, four less than the previous day, pushing the tally in the union territory to 9,844 on Thursday. The COVID-19 death count in the archipelago remained at 129 as no fresh fatality was reported in the last 24 hours. The union territory now has 290 active COVID-19 cases, while 9,425 people have recovered from the disease so far.
Kerala continued to report more than 50,000 daily COVID-19 cases with the state recording 52,199 fresh infections on Wednesday raising the caseload to 61,29,755.
Jharkhand on Thursday reported 601 new COVID-19 cases, 21 less than the previous day, with the tally mounting to 4,29,773, a health department bulletin said. The COVID-19 death count rose to 5,306 as three more persons – one from capital Ranchi and two from Saraikela district succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, it said.
Pregnant women who are positive with Covid-19 when they give birth rarely transmit the virus to their newborns, according to a spate of new research. The reason: Covid isn’t often found in a patient’s bloodstream.
Noting that timely completion of Covid vaccination schedule is important to confer full protection of vaccines to the recipients, the Centre has asked the states and Union Territories to review the coverage of second dose amongst adolescents daily.
More about Omicron
The Omicron variant has been called a variant of concern by WHO based on studies that shows it has several mutations.
Still a lot of research is underway to evaluate its transmissibility, severity and reinfection risk.
The Omicron variant has been detected in several regions of the world. WHO reports that the likelihood of the Omicron variant spreading further globally is high.
It is not currently known if the Omicron variant is more or less severe than other strains of COVID-19, including Delta. Studies are ongoing and this information will be updated as it becomes available.
It is not yet clear whether Omicron can spread more easily from person to person compared to other variants, such as Delta.
However, being vaccinated and taking precautions such as avoiding crowded spaces, keeping your distance from others and wearing a mask are critical in helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we know these actions have been effective against other variants.
Researchers are looking into any potential impact the Omicron variant has on the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. Although information is still limited, WHO believes it is a reasonable assumption that the currently available vaccines offer some protection against severe disease and death.
It is also important to be vaccinated to protect against the other widely circulating variants, such as the Delta one. When it’s your turn, make sure to get vaccinated. If your vaccination involves two doses, it’s important to receive both in order to have the maximum protection.
According to WHO, early evidence suggests that people who have previously had COVID-19 could be reinfected more easily with Omicron, in comparison to other variants of concern. Information is still limited though and we will share updates as it becomes available.
Source: UNICEFRead more Health News
Latest update Omicron
