Coronavirus: India clocks 781 Omicron cases; 9,195 new COVID-19 cases

India on Wednesday logged a total of 9,195 new Covid-19 cases and 302 Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the Covid-19 case tally to 3,48,08,886 and death toll to 4,80,592, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
 

Meanwhile, 781 cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus have been reported from across 21 states and UTs so far, according to the Union Health Ministry data. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of 167 cases followed by Delhi at 165, Kerala 57, Telangana 55, Gujarat 49 and Rajasthan 46.

India’s active cases tally stands at 77,002 with an increase of 1,546 such cases, the ministry said. The active cases comprise 0.22 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020. A total of 7,347 recoveries in the last 24 hours increased the total recoveries to 3,42,51,292. The recovery rate is currently at 98.40%, the highest since March 2020.

Also read: No respite for Delhi, Mumbai as COVID continues to surge at faster rate

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) data, a total of 67.52 crore tests were conducted till date. So far under nationwide vaccination drive, 143.15 crore vaccine doses have been administered across the country.

Meanwhile, early studies suggest it sparks milder disease, the WHO on Tuesday warned that the Omicron variant could lead to overwhelmed healthcare systems. China and Germany have brought back tough restrictions to stamp out new infection surges. Covid-19 surges have wreaked havoc around the world, with many nations trying to strike a balance between economically punishing restrictions and controlling the spread of the virus.

Also read: Omicron variant: As India tightens Covid restrictions, US goes ahead and eases them