India recorded 7,350 fresh coronavirus infections within a span of 24 hours, which took the country’s overall tally to 3,46,97,860. The number of active cases declined to 91,456, the lowest in 561 days, the Union Health Ministry data showed on Monday.
The 8 am data suggests that the death toll from the pandemic has reached 4,75,636 with 202 new fatalities.
The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 46 days now.
The number of active cases has declined to 91,456, comprising 0.26 percent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.37 percent, the highest since March 2020, the Health Ministry said.
A decline of 825 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 case count in a span of 24 hours.
The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.86 percent. It has been less than 2 percent for the last 70 days.
The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 0.69 percent. It has been below 1 percent for the last 29 days, according to the ministry.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,41,30,768, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.37 percent.
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 133.17 crore.
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 coronavirus cases on May 4 and three crore on June 23.
Meanwhile, five new cases of Omicron were reported in India on Sunday taking the tally of the new coronavirus variant to 38. While Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh reported their first case of Omicron today, Karnataka and Maharashtra also reported one case each taking the states’ tally of the new variant to three and 18 respectively.
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
