India records 41% spike in daily COVID cases with 5,233 fresh infections
India’s daily COVID cases on Wednesday witnessed a 41 per cent spike when compared to Tuesday, as states saw a rise in number of B.A.5 variant-induced infections.
Daily coronavirus infections in India were recorded above 5,000 after 93 days taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,31,90,282, while the active cases rose to 28,857, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.
A total of 5,233 infections were recorded in a span of 24 hours, while the death toll climbed to 5,24,715 with seven fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am stated.
The active cases comprise 0.07 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.72 per cent, the ministry said.
An increase of 1,881 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.67 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 1.12 per cent, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,26,36,710, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21 per cent.
The rise in cases has been attributed to Maharashtra which logged 1,881 infections on Tuesday evening, recording a 81 per cent jump since February 18. Its capital Mumbai alone recorded 1,242 cases on Monday.
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 194.43 crore.
India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. The country crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. The seven new fatalities include five from Kerala and one each from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
A total of 5,24,715 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,47,866 from Maharashtra, 69,801 from Kerala, 40,108 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,213 from Delhi, 23,523 from Uttar Pradesh and 21,205 from West Bengal.
The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.
“Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
(With inputs from agencies)
