Covid Cases in India: After months of consistent decline, COVID-19 cases are surging again across India. Today, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released its data that revealed that the country reported 3,095 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest single-day rise in infections in 2023.
According to the data, India’s active caseload currently stands at 15,208. Meanwhile, the daily positivity rate is at 2.61 percent.
On Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said XBB1.16 is the prevalent variant of COVID-19 found in samples being tested in the national capital. He was speaking about the Covid situation in Delhi and said there is nothing to worry.
In January this year, COVID-19 variant XBB1.16 was discovered. According to a report by INSACOG, the highest number of Covid cases of this variant has been found in Maharashtra and Gujarat at 164 each, followed by 93 in Telangana and 86 in Karnataka.
COVID-19 cases increase in India–Here are the latest updates:
- On Friday, while addressing the media, Kejriwal said XBB1.16 spreads quickly but it doesn’t cause serious illness. He also pointed out that a fully vaccinated person too can be infected by this variant.
- India has witnessed an increase in the number of fresh Covid cases over the last few days amid a sharp rise in the figure of H3N2 influenza cases.
- In Uttar Pradesh, the government has put all frontline workers and government and private hospitals in “alert mode”.
- India’s Covid-19 death count has risen to 5,30,862 with 14 latest fatalities – three from Maharashtra, two from Delhi and one from Himachal Pradesh in 24 hours and eight reconciled by Kerala.
- According to media reports, state authorities have also been told to undertake mock drills at health facilities on April 10 and 11 to ensure operational readiness of medical infrastructure.
- Other state governments are also ramping up testing for Covid-19 and encouraging the increased use of masks and social distancing.
- Maharashtra reported nearly 700 fresh Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the highest single-day detection in over five months.
- In Kerela, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram districts have the highest number of Covid cases.
- In Haryana, the government has issued fresh guidelines and asked all health facilities to record travel history of a suspected case having travel history to a country or an area where the virus has been reported.
- Goa reported 108 fresh coronavirus cases on Thursday, while one more patient succumbed to the infection in the state, said the health department.