India logs highest single day rise of Omicron cases, tally climbs to 578

India saw the highest single day rise of Omicron infections with 156 fresh cases, taking the total tally of such cases to 578, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The ministry said 151 out of the 578 people, who contracted the infection, have recovered or migrated.

The 578 cases have been detected across 19 states and UTs with Delhi recording the maximum number of 142 cases followed by Maharashtra at 141, Kerala 57, Gujarat 49, Rajasthan 43 and Telangana 41.

With 6,531 people testing positive for coronavirus infections in a day India's total tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 3,47,93,333, while the active cases declined to 75,841, according to the data updated at 8 am.

The death toll has climbed to 4,79,997 with 315 fresh fatalities, the data stated.

The daily rise in new coronavirus infections has been recorded below 15,000 for the last 60 days now.

The active cases have declined to 75,841 comprising 0.22 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March 2020, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.40 per cent, the highest since March 2020, the ministry said.

A decrease of 925 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.87 per cent. It has been less than two per cent for the last 84 days. The weekly positivity rate was also recorded at 0.63 per cent. It has been below one per cent for the last 43 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,42,37,495, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.38 per cent.

The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 141.70 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. India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

The 315 new fatalities include 268 from Kerala and 17 from Maharashtra.

Of the 268 deaths in Kerala, 16 were recorded over the last few days and 252 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court.

A total of 4,79,997 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,41, 433 from Maharashtra, 46,586 from Kerala, 38,312 from Karnataka, 36,735 from Tamil Nadu, 25,105 from Delhi, 22,915 from Uttar Pradesh and 19,716 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.