India records 6,100+ new COVID-19 cases, daily positivity nearly 6%
India recorded 6,155 new daily COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours—with the daily positivity nearing 6% on a national average—the Union Health Ministry revealed on Saturday morning. The country saw an increase of more than 100 coronavirus cases compared to the previous day, taking active cases to 31,194, while the death toll rose to 5,30,954, with 11 fresh fatalities registered on Friday.
Why does this story matter?
The number of coronavirus cases in India has sharply risen over the last few days. According to experts, XBB 1.16, an Omicron variant subtype, is to blame for the current spike in COVID-19 cases. The surge in coronavirus infections coincides with an increase in H3N2 influenza cases across the country, prompting the Union Health Ministry to issue a fresh advisory to states for preparedness.
India's active COVID-19 cases rose to 31,194
With 6,155 new cases added on Friday, India's total number of COVID-19 cases has reached 4,47,51,259, according to the Union Health Ministry data. India's active COVID-19 caseload now stands at 31,194, accounting for 0.07% of total infections. According to the official data, the country's daily positivity rate is currently at 5.63%, while the weekly positivity rate stands at 3.47%.
3,253 fresh recoveries reported, recovery rate at 98.74%
Official data also showed 3,253 people recovered from COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total to 4,41,89,111 and the recovery rate to 98.74%. The death toll reached 5,30,954 with 11 fresh fatalities: three from Maharashtra; two from Delhi, one each in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand; two reconciled by Kerala. Moreover, 92.26 crore COVID-19 tests have been conducted so far, including 1,09,378 on Friday.
Kerala tops with over 10,000 active cases
Currently, Kerala has the highest number of active COVID-19 cases at 10,609. Karnataka has 1,596 active cases, whereas there are 4,487 active cases in Maharashtra and 2,155 in Gujarat. There are 2,331 active cases in Delhi, 1,530 in Tamil Nadu, and 1,739 in Himachal Pradesh.
Experts blame subvariant XBB 1.16 for fresh COVID-19 spike
Meanwhile, healthcare experts and the Union Health Ministry 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, closely followed by the United States (US).
Union Health Minister asked states to identify emergency 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/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.
