1,79,723 new coronavirus cases were reported in India in a single day, raising the total tally to 3.57 crores, which included 4,033 Omicron cases reported across 27 states and union territories.

Maharashtra reported 44,388 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths linked to the virus on Sunday. This takes the state tally of COVID-19 positive patients to 69,20,044, with 2,02,259 active cases. Uttar Pradesh, reported 7,695 fresh cases in the last 24 hrs which is 13 times more than last week, with 1115 cases in Lucknow and 1,149 in Noida. Delhi reported 22,751 new cases in 24 hours and 7 deaths, which was the highest since June 16 last year. The positivity rate stood at 23.53 %.

Health Ministry data, updated this morning recorded an increase of 1,33,008 cases in the active COVID-19 caseload in 24 hours and reported146 deaths linked to the virus. The active cases comprised 2.03 % of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 96.62 %. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 13.29 % while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 7.92 %. 

The ministry said that the cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive had exceeded 151.94 crores.

In a review meeting for COVID, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior government officials focused on said that testing, genome sequencing and vaccination were essential, Adolescents would be vaccinated in "mission mode" and everyone should strictly focus on COVID-appropriate behavior for the next few weeks.  

Last month, the Prime Minister had announced the precautionary third doses of vaccines. It starts today for health and frontline workers and immuno-compromised seniors.All those who are eligible could directly take an appointment or walk into any vaccination centre. No decision on the booster doses for all adults was taken yet. The Indian Council of Medical Research reassured the safety and immunogenicity of a booster dose of Covaxin to be administered six months after completion of a two-dose primary vaccination series with Covaxin

A professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus , said that a new strain "Deltacron" that combines delta and omicron was found in Cyprus, which was detected in most of the hospitalized patients due to COVID-19 as compared to non-hospitalized patients. According to an AFP count based on official figures, around 300 million Covid-19 cases have been registered worldwide since the start of the pandemic on Friday, which was the highest till date.

Source: NDTV.com