Maharashtra on Wednesday evening reported 1,115 new Covid-19 cases over the previous 24 hours. The state also saw 560 recoveries and nine deaths during the same period. On Tuesday, the state had recorded 919 cases. Amid a surge in the coronavirus cases across the country, health officials on Wednesday said that Covid-19 in India is moving towards the endemic stage and the infections may keep rising for the next 10-12 days after which they will subside.
India has logged a single-day rise of 7,830 new coronavirus infections, the highest in 223 days, taking the active cases count to 40,215, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The country had recorded a single-day jump of 7,946 Covid-19 cases on September 1 last year.
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The current surge in infections is being driven by XBB.1.16, a sub variant of Omicron. While Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the dominant variant in India, most of them have little or no significant transmissibility, disease severity or immune escape, officials said. The prevalence of XBB.1.16 increased from 21.6 per cent in February this year to 35.8 per cent in March. However, no evidence of an increase in hospitalisation or mortality has been reported, officials added.
Delhi registered 980 fresh Covid-19 cases and two deaths in the last 24 hours, according to a bulletin released by the health department on Tuesday.
According to the data, the number of active cases in the national capital has reached 2,876. The positivity rate has shot up to 25.98%. The city had reported 484 cases with a positivity rate of 26.58% on Monday. Almost 700 Covid cases and four deaths were registered on Sunday, an increase of more than 200 infections from the previous day.
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Meanwhile, Serum Institute Of India CEO Adar Poonawalla on Tuesday urged senior citizens in India to wear masks and consider taking Covovax as a booster dose as Covid cases in India continued to remain above the 5,500 mark. In a tweet, Poonawalla emphasised that the Omicron XBB variant could be severe for the elderly and suggested that they take precautions.
"As Covid cases have been rising again with Omicron XBB and its variants, it can be severe for the elderly. I'd suggest for the elderly, mask up and take the Covovax booster which is now available on the COWIN app. It is excellent against all variants and is approved in the US and Europe," Poonawalla tweeted.