Surge in New Covid Cases in India

India recorded 2,582 new Covid cases and 222 recoveries in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Tuesday. This marks a significant increase from the previous day, which reported only 173 cases.

Increased Testing and Vaccination

In the past 24 hours, India conducted 1,51,186 Covid tests, a notable rise from the 92,955 tests conducted the day before. Additionally, 45,769 vaccine doses were administered during this period. The recovery rate currently stands at 98.8%, with a daily positivity rate of 0.09% and a weekly positivity rate of 0.13%.

The Ministry of Health and Family Affairs reports total recoveries from Covid at 4,41,45,667, with a total of 91.12 crore tests conducted to date.

Vaccination Updates

Covid-19 vaccination for the 12-14 age group began on March 16, 2022, with over 4.12 crore adolescents receiving the first dose so far. Similarly, the Covid-19 precaution dose administration for the 18-59 age group commenced on April 10, 2022.

Concerns Over New Variants

Health concerns have heightened in India following remarks from World Health Organization Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan, who highlighted over 300 sub-variants of Covid. Of particular concern is XBB, a recombinant virus between two Omicron sublineages, BJ.1 and BA.2.75. This fast-spreading variant has recently caused a surge in cases in Singapore.

Continued Vigilance

A high-level meeting chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, with senior health officials, concluded with the decision to maintain mask mandates and Covid-appropriate behavior across the country in response to the emergence of new Omicron sub-variants.