India reports 3,016 new Covid cases, highest in six months

India recorded a significant surge in the number of new coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to data released by the Union health ministry.

The country saw a single-day rise of 3,016 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest in nearly six months, with the total infection tally standing at 44,712,692.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.73%, while the weekly positivity rate was pegged at 1.71%.

The active cases have increased to 13,509, which comprises only 0.03% of the total infections.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.78%, indicating that the majority of infected individuals have successfully recovered.

The country’s Covid-19 death toll also rose to 530,862 with 14 latest fatalities reported in the last 24 hours. Among these, three deaths were reported in Maharashtra, two in Delhi, one in Himachal Pradesh, and eight in Kerala.

The Ministry’s website revealed that 220.65 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has announced that it will hold a meeting on Thursday to assess the COVID-19 situation in the national capital, following a recent surge in cases.

The Delhi Health Minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, has invited senior health officials, medical directors of state-run hospitals, and other stakeholders to attend the meeting.

This meeting has been called a day after Delhi’s COVID-19 cases surpassed 300 for the first time since August 31 last year. The positivity rate in Delhi has also increased to 13.89 percent, with two COVID-related deaths reported. In contrast, on August 31, the positivity rate was 2.58 percent, with two fatalities reported.

The city has experienced a rise in the number of daily COVID-19 cases over the past few days, coinciding with a significant increase in H3N2 influenza cases in the country. Delhi had previously witnessed a decline in daily cases over the past few months, with zero cases reported on January 16, the first time since the pandemic began.

With the recent surge in cases, Delhi’s overall infection tally has now increased to 20,09,361, while the death toll stands at 26,526. (With inputs from PTI)