CHENNAI: India on Monday recorded 1,79,723 new cases and 146 deaths in the last 24 hours.
The number of Omicron cases stood at 4,033 with Maharashtra continuing to report the highest number of cases at 1,216. Rajasthan recorded 529 cases followed by Delhi 513, Karnataka 441, Kerala 333, Gujarat 236 and Tamil Nadu 185 cases.
The administration of third 'precautionary dose' to health care and frontline workers and people over 60 years of age with comorbidities commenced, including in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, noted that during the second surge of Covid cases in the country, it was seen that the percentage of active cases that needed hospitalized care was in the range of 20 to 23 percentage. In the present surge, 5 to 10 percent of active cases have needed hospitalization so far.
"The situation is dynamic and evolving, therefore the need for hospitalisation may also change rapidly," he pointed out.
All states and union territories are advised to keep a daily watch on the situation of total number of active case, cases under home isolation, number of hospitalised cases, cases on oxygen beds, ICU beds and on ventilatory support. Based on this monitoring, requirement of Health Care Workers (HCWs) and their availability, health facility wise, must also be reviewed on a daily basis as was done during the second surge, a statement issued in this regard said.
The statement said the rise in Covid-19 cases accompanied by an increase in positivity rate is being witnessed in various parts of the country.
"The rise, it appears, is being driven by the Variant of Concern (VoC) "Omicron" and the continued presence of another VoC "Delta" in large geographies across the country. In this context, augmenting human resources, particularly Health Care Workers (HCWs) for Covid management assumes critical importance,"the statement further said.