NEW DELHI: India recorded 11,109 new Covid-19 cases, the highest in 235 days, marking a continuous surge in Covid-19 cases for the fifth consecutive day this week. In the past 24 hours, 29 deaths, three from Delhi and Rajasthan, were reported. Kerala recorded nine reconciled deaths.
Chhattisgarh and Punjab reported two deaths each, while Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Puducherry, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. With these 29 deaths, the death toll due to Covid has touched 5,31,064.
With India reporting over 11,000 new Covid-19 cases, the active infections touched nearly 50,000 at 49,622.
The fatality rate now stands at 1.19%, while the recovery rate is currently at 98.70%, as per union health ministry data.
It was the first time in over 235 days that India reported over 11,000 cases. The last time over 11,000 cases was reported was in August 20, when 11,539 cases were detected, and 43 deaths were reported, according to Krishna Prasad N C, a Covid data analyst.
Rajasthan (52%), Punjab (40%), Uttar Pradesh (30%) and Goa (25%) have reported a high number of Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Delhi and Haryana each reported a 33 % percent hike in Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, he said.
Experts said that both Maharashtra - where XBB.1.16 sub-variant was detected - and Delhi are reporting a high number of Covid-19 cases. Both states are reporting over 1,000 cases.
Experts said that the current rise in Covid-19 cases is driven by XBB.1.16, a sub-variant of Omicron. Though Covid-19 cases are rising, hospitalisation is low, officials said.