India records 11,109 new coronavirus infections, highest in 236 days

More than 11,000 new Covid cases were reported across India in the past 24 hours—the highest ever in the last 236 days.

According to the data shared by the health ministry, 11,109 new coronavirus infections were recorded, pushing the active cases to 49,622. Moreover, the death toll climbed to 5,31,064 with 29 more fatalities. On Thursday, the nation had recorded 10,158 fresh coronavirus infections.

Three deaths each were reported from Delhi and Rajasthan, two each from Chhattisgarh and Punjab and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh besides nine reconciled by Kerala, the data said.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 5.01 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 4.29 per cent.

The Covid case tally was recorded at 4.47 crore (4,47,97,269)

The ministry said the active cases now comprise 0.11 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.70 per cent.

Notably, India is not the only country reporting resurgence in Covid infections. This trend is being witnessed across Asia. Indonesia’s daily caseload is near a four-month high and Vietnam is ramping up virus prevention measures. Whereas, Singapore’s infections almost doubled in the final week of March to the highest this year.

This fresh wave is being attributed to a mix of XBB subvariants — a highly transmissible Omicron strain that, so far, isn’t causing widespread severe illness.

However, experts believe that the fresh bout of cases is only temporary as the outbreak is reaching its endemic stage.

It is expected that the infections will peak for the next 10 to 12 days, and then subside,

In an endemic stage, an infection is restricted to a particular region whereas in pandemic, the infection spreads to a bigger area or even worldwide.

Experts claimed that the XBB.1.16 subvariant of Omicron is not a cause for worry and asserted that vaccines are effective against it.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,42,16,586 and the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.

According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country under the nationwide vaccination drive.

 

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