NEW DELHI: India on Thursday recorded 2,47,417 Covid-19 new cases, stated to be the highest single-day rise in this third wave, and 380 deaths. With this, the total number of cases in India stands at 36,317,927 with 485,035 deaths.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 154.61 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under nationwide vaccination drive. India's Active caseload currently stands at 11,17,531 while active cases stand at 3.08 percent. The recovery rate currently is at 95.59 percent.
The total number of Omicron cases has gone up to 5,488 with Maharashtra recording the most number of cases at 1,367. Rajasthan has 792 cases, Delhi 549, Kerala 486, and Karnataka 479.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge is the latest political leader to test positive for Covid-19, say reports quoating a statement released by his office on Thursday. Kharge is asymptomatic and under home quarantine. “Five staff members in his Delhi office had tested positive a few days back, including the secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, RS,” the statement said.
Despite being fully vaccinated, BJP MLA from Nilagiri in Odisha’s Balasore district Sukanta Nayak has tested COVID-19 positive for the third time in a span of 18 months. Nayak tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and is isolating at home. He had first contracted COVID-19 in July 2020 and again in September that year.
According to reports, the number of hospitalizations has increased from 10-15 to 35-40 per day. "So far we have received 188 Omicron cases from airports in the last 5 weeks. Omicron is observed in majority of patients, only 15-20 percent are diagnosed with delta variant," said Dr S Kumar, MD, LNJP Hospital, Delhi.
Nearly100 doctors and staff of Goa Medical College have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19, resulting in the postponement of all routine surgeries and also functioning of out-patient departments.
In Uttarakhand, 30 BSF personnel deployed on election duty have tested positive for Covid-19, say reports.
Amid the third wave of the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to hold a virtual meeting with the chief ministers of all states on Thursday afternoon to take stock of the situation.