India logged 5,335 fresh coronavirus cases, the highest in 195 days on Thursday.
The death toll has increased to 5,30,943 with 14 deaths — three reported from Maharashtra, two each from Karnataka and Rajasthan, one each from Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, and one was reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 3.39 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 3.02 per cent, it said.
The total tally of Covid cases stands at 4.47 crore (4,47,45,104)
The active cases now comprise 0.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate has been recorded at 98.75 per cent, according to the health ministry’s website.
Uttar Pradesh reported its first death due to Covid-19 this year, health officials said. The state also reported 192 fresh Covid cases during the day while 68 patients recovered in the state, including one in state capital Lucknow. At present, there are 842 active Covid cases in the state. The newly emerged recombinant coronavirus variant XBB.1.16 has been observed in different parts of the country, accounting for 38.2 per cent of the infection till date, according to the latest INSACOG bulletin.
The bulletin of March 27, which was released on Thursday, said among the samples collected till the third week of March 2023, XBB continued to be the most commonly circulating Omicron sublineages.
Noting that Omicron and its sublineages continue to be the dominant variants in India, the bulletin said an increase in infection rate has been observed, especially in western, southern and northern parts of India.
Amid a nationwide upward trend in the COVID cases, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a review meet with the health ministers of all states and Union Territories on Friday afternoon, sources told ANI.
On Wednesday, COVID empowerment working group also conducted a review routine meeting. Dr V K Paul, Dr Rajiv Bahl, DG, ICMR and other senior health officials attended this meeting.
According to the sources, this was a review meeting to know the COVID situation and preparedness in the country. The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) also attend the meeting.
We need to remain alert but there is no need to worry. Currently, the sub-variant of Omicron which is circulating in the country hasn’t increased hospitalisation,” Mandaviya said on Covid19 situation in the country.
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