India reports 1,249 new Covid-19 infections, active cases increase to 7,927

India has recorded 1,249 new cases of Covid-19, taking the total number of active cases to 7,927, according to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry.

The death toll has increased to 5,30,818 with one death each reported in Karnataka and Gujarat. The daily positivity rate was 1.19%, and the weekly positivity rate was 1.14%.

The country’s Covid-19 case tally has reached 4.47 crore, and the national recovery rate is at 98.79%.

To assess the public health preparedness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held a high-level meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Experts have noted that the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing Covid-19 is continuously evolving over time like any other virus and generating a large number of variants.

There have been close to 1,000 assigned lineages of the Omicron variant, including around 100 recombinant variants, but most of them have no significant impact on the virus’s functional attributes.

To manage the Covid-19 situation, the Union Health Ministry has issued a detailed advisory to seven states, focusing on the five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination-and Covid-appropriate behavior. The states have been advised to ensure enhanced lab surveillance and testing of all Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases, ramp up whole genome sequencing of positive samples, and follow guidelines for the management and vaccination of seasonal influenza cases. They have also been asked to ensure the availability of required drugs and logistics for influenza and Covid-19 across health facilities and enhance community awareness regarding the disease and vaccination.

According to the ministry’s website, 220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in India so far under the nationwide vaccination drive. (With inputs from PTI)