India marks the first anniversary of the nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 on January 16 (Photo Credit: The Economic TImes)
There were 1,702 new cases of Omicron variant between Saturday and Sunday, the highest in a single day so far. This marks an increase of 28.17 per cent in the last 24 hours. India added 2,71,202 new infections in one day, the highest daily count in eight months.
New Delhi: The Covid situation and the matters related to Omicron remain a growing concern, as India's Covid graph showed a substantial increase in figures in the last few deaths.
India reported 2,71,202 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday (January 16) morning, a sharp increase of 2,369 more than what it was on January 15. There have been 314 deaths and 1,38,331 recoveries in the last 24 hours, pushing India's tally of cases to 3,71,22,164, death toll to 4,86,066. The number of active cases in the country is 15,50,377 as of Sunday morning, and the daily positivity rate stood at 16.28 per cent.
Officials say the confirmed cases of Omicron have also risen to 7743. The active cases now comprise 4.18 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has decreased to 94.51 per cent.
The Election Commission has already extended the ban on physical rallies and roadshows till January 22. The poll panel granted 'relaxation' for the political parties to the extent that indoor meetings of a maximum of 300 persons or 50 per cent of the hall's capacity or the prescribed limit set by State Disaster Management Authorities. The Commission has directed political parties to adhere to the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and the broad guidelines of Covid.
Covid numbers as of Sunday morning-Delhi (20718 cases); Mumbai (10661 cases); Bengaluru (22284 cases); Kolkata (4831 cases); Chennai (8978 cases).
In Mumbai, there were reports of 11 deaths, the highest one-day fatality recorded since July 2021. "Mumbai is near the peak of the third wave. The cases are expected to fall further," said Dr Shashank Joshi, member of the state Covid-19 task force. However, the rising fatality rate in the city is seen with concerns. Mumbai recorded 9 deaths on Friday, and it increased to 11 on Saturday. Some statistics show a certain pattern. Out of the 47 deaths recorded between January 1-13, 42 of the deceased were above the age of 60 years.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, January 16, India marks the first anniversary of the nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19. It was on this day last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the world's largest vaccination drive to combat the pandemic.
The vaccination programme had begun with health workers on January 16, 2021, and subsequently, it was opened for frontline workers on February 2 last year. The vaccination drive for the 60-plus age group and those above 45-years and comorbidities started on March 1 and for all above 18 years on May 1, 2021.
The government started a vaccination drive of children aged 15-18 years on January 3, 2022. The country's Covid vaccination coverage has crossed 156 crores 63 lakh mark. More than 42, 69,000 Precaution Doses have also been administered so far.
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