Latest updates on Covid-19: India continues to record over 18000 new daily infections, no respite yet

India witnessed a surge of 18,815 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally across the country to 4,35,85,554. With this, the active cases in the country have gone up to 1,22,335, the Union health ministry informed today. With the loss of 38 more lives across the country in the last 24 hours, the total death toll has gone up to 5,25,343.

According to the ministry, the active cases consist of 0.28 percent of the total infections, even as the national COVID-19 recovery rate stood at 98.51 percent. The ministry recorded an increase of 2,878 cases in active COVID-19 caseload in the last 24 hours. Even as the daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.96 percent, the weekly positivity rate stood at 4.09 percent.

Also, the number of those who have recovered from the virus has gone up to 4,29,37,876 with the fatality rate recorded at 1.21 percent. So far, 198.51 crore 5,25,343 vaccines have been administered in the country, under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Meanwhile, a new variant of Omicron, known as BA.2.75, has been detected in India, according to World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Speaking at a press briefing, he said that Covid cases have increased to 30 percent in the last two weeks. He added that nearly four out of six WHO sub-regions have witnessed an increase in a number of cases.

As per reports, China has decided to back out from a previous plan to launch a vaccine mandate to enter some of the public space after protests in the country. Issuing a statement late on Thursday, the government said that people can enter venues with negative virus results and temperature checks as has been the norm and that the vaccination will continue as per “informed, voluntary consent.”

In the US, close to 300,000 children under the age of 5 received vaccine shots in the last two weeks. Two weeks since they became available. The US government said that this number was expected for the 18 million eligible population of US kids.