India records 5,300+ COVID-19 cases, 11 deaths; positivity rate 3.39%
India recorded 5,357 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, with the daily positivity rate at 3.39%, the Union Health Ministry revealed on Sunday morning. Notably, the country saw a decrease of nearly 800 coronavirus cases compared to the previous day, taking active cases to 32,814, while the death toll rose to 5,30,965, with 11 fresh fatalities registered on Saturday.
Why does this story matter?
The incidence of coronavirus infections in India has increased dramatically in recent days. According to experts, the current spike in COVID-19 cases is due to XBB 1.16, an Omicron variant subtype. Moreover, the rise in coronavirus infections coincides with an increase in H3N2 influenza cases across the country, leading the Union Health Ministry to issue a fresh readiness advisory to states and union territories.
India's active COVID-19 cases rose to 32,814
With 5,357 new cases added on Saturday, India's total number of COVID-19 cases has reached 4,47,56,616, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The country's active COVID-19 caseload now stands at 32,814, accounting for 0.07% of total infections. According to the official data, the national daily positivity rate is currently at 3.39%, while the weekly positivity rate stands at 3.54%.
3,726 fresh recoveries, recovery rate at 98.74%
Meanwhile, 3,726 people recovered from COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total recoveries to 4,41,92,837 and the recovery rate to 98.74%. The death tally reached 5,30,965 with 11 fresh fatalities: three from Gujarat, two from Himachal Pradesh, and one each from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh; one reconciled by Kerala. So far, 92.27 crore COVID-19 tests have been conducted, including 1,57,894 on Saturday.
Kerala tops with over 11,500 active cases
Currently, Kerala has the highest number of active COVID-19 cases at 11,574. Karnataka has 1,743 active cases, whereas there are 4,360 active cases in Maharashtra and 2,056 in Gujarat. There are 2,232 active cases in Delhi, 1,703 in Tamil Nadu, and 1,807 in Himachal Pradesh.
Omicron's XBB 1.16 subtype blamed for fresh COVID-19 spike
Healthcare experts and the Union Health Ministry have attributed the recent increase in cases to the Omicron subvariant XBB 1.16. Previously, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) revealed that 113 cases of the XBB 1.16 subvariant were discovered in India. The country recorded the most XBB 1.16 instances in the world, followed by the United States (US).
Union health minister asks states to identify hotspots
The Centre has advised states and union territories to be alert as the number of daily COVID-19 cases in numerous parts continues to climb. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urged states and UTs on Friday to increase testing and surveillance of influenza-like diseases in order to detect new hotspots. He also suggested they undertake preparedness reviews and conduct mock drills on Monday and Tuesday.
States adopt strict measures amid spike in COVID-19 cases
Amid a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases, several states issued several guidelines and strict measures to contain the spread and tackle the situation. While Kerala made masks mandatory for pregnant women and other vulnerable individuals, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Puducherry have made masks mandatory in public places. Also, the Delhi government directed all the hospitals and health centers to ramp up COVID-19 testing facilities.
