COVID-19: India reports nearly 1.8L cases; Omicron tally reaches 4K
India on Monday added 410 new COVID-19 cases involving the Omicron variant. Maharashtra topped the list of worst-hit states with a total of 1,216 Omicron cases, followed by Rajasthan (529 cases). Worryingly, India also reported nearly 1.8 lakh new COVID-19 cases on Monday. The active caseload rose to 7.2 lakh, accounting for 2.03% of the total cases. Currently, India's recovery rate stands at 96.62%.
Why does this story matter?
India on Monday reported a higher number of COVID-19 cases than the day before. Notably, India has been witnessing a rapid surge in cases since the emergence of the Omicron variant. On Monday, India's Omicron tally crossed the 4,000-mark, with the variant being detected in 27 states and union territories. Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi chaired a review meeting on India's COVID-19 situation on Sunday.
Over 46K patients discharged
According to the Union Health Ministry, India reported a total of 3,57,07,727 COVID-19 cases till Monday morning. The death toll reached 4,83,936. With 46,569 fresh discharges, the recoveries stand at 3,45,00,172. In the past 24 hours, 1,79,723 new cases and 146 fresh fatalities were reported. The weekly positivity rate was recorded at 7.92%, while the daily positive rate is at 13.29%.
India's second wave peaked on May 7
India's second wave peaked on May 7, when 4.14 lakh single-day cases were reported, over four times the number of cases reported during the first wave in mid-September 2020. Although infections have declined since the second wave peaked, India crossed the three-crore mark on June 23. India had crossed the one-crore mark on December 19, 2020, and the two-crore mark on May 4, 2021.
Maharashtra adds most new cases
Maharashtra reported 44,388 new COVID-19 cases along with 15,351 more recoveries. Kerala, the second worst-hit state after Maharashtra, reported 6,238 new cases and 2,390 discharges. The third worst-hit Karnataka added 12,000 new cases and 901 recoveries. Tamil Nadu, the fourth worst-hit state, reported 12,895 new cases and 1,808 recoveries. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh reported 1,257 new cases and 140 recoveries.
Nearly 152 crore vaccine doses administered
Till 9:30 am on Monday, India administered over 151.9 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses. Overall, over 63.2 crore people have been fully vaccinated, while over 88.7 crore people have received at least one dose. On Monday alone, India administered more than 1.1 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses till 9:30 am, including over 68,000 second doses and over 47,000 first doses, according to Co-WIN.
India's Omicron tally crosses 4K
Meanwhile, India's tally of Omicron cases has reached 4,033, with cases being detected in 27 states and union territories. The worst-affected regions include Maharashtra (1,216 Omicron cases), Rajasthan (529) Delhi (513), Karnataka (441), Kerala (333), Gujarat (236), Tamil Nadu (185), and Haryana (123).
PM chaired COVID-19 review meeting yesterday
Meanwhile, PM Modi on Sunday chaired a review meeting on the country's COVID-19 situation. In the meeting, the prime minister reportedly stressed the need to continue intensive containment and active surveillance in clusters reporting a higher number of cases. He underlined the necessity of using masks and boosting healthcare infrastructure. He also emphasized the need for continuous research on testing, vaccines, pharmacological interventions.
