Daily COVID-19 cases in India highest in 224 days

India logged 552 new cases of Omicron, taking the total tally of such infections to 3,623 across 27 states and UTs so far, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

Out of the total Omicron cases, 1,409 people have migrated or recovered.

Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 1,009 cases followed by Delhi at 513, Karnataka 441, Rajasthan 373, Kerala 333 and Gujarat 204.

A total of 1,59,632 new coronavirus infections were reported in a day, the highest in 224 days, while the active cases increased to 5,90,611, the highest in around 197 days, according to the data updated at 8 am.

On May 29 last year, India had logged 1,65,553 infections in a day.

The death toll climbed to 4,83,790 with 327 fresh fatalities, the data stated. The active cases comprise 1.66 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate decreased to 96.98 per cent, the ministry said.

An increase of 1,18,442 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 10.21 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 6.77 per cent, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,44,53,603 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.36 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 151.58 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 on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

The 327 new fatalities include 242 from Kerala and 19 from West Bengal.

A total of 4,83,790 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,41,627 from Maharashtra, 49,547 from Kerala, 38,366 from Karnataka, 36,843 from Tamil Nadu, 25,143 from Delhi, 22,924 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,883 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

Source: BSS/AFP