India’s active Covid cases surpass 7,000 mark

India has witnessed a spike in daily Covid-19 cases with the country recording 1,134 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. 

With this, the country's cumulative Covid-19 tally had gone up to 4.46 crore (4,46,98,118). India's active cases increased to 7,026, which comprises of 0.02% of the total infections, the data showed. 

The death toll climbed to 5,30,813 with five deaths with one each reported by Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, and Maharashtra and one reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The daily positivity was recorded at 1.09 percent while the weekly positivity was pegged at 0.98 percent. The national Covid-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent, the ministry said.

A total of 92.05 crore tests for detection of Covid have been conducted so far with 1,03,831 being tests conducted in the last 24 hours, as per health ministry data. 

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,60,279 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent. 

According to the ministry's website, 220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

In the past few days, India has witnessed a sudden surge in the cases of the Covid-19 virus and a new strain XBB.1.16 is facilitating the faster spread of the virus.

"All eyes should be on India! If XBB.1.16 aka #Arcturus could succeed to wade through the 'sturdy' population immunity of Indians that successfully resisted the onslaught of variants like BA.2.75, BA.5, BQs, XBB.1.5, then the whole world must be seriously worried!!," Vipin M Vashishtha, former convenor of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics and consultant pediatrician at the Mangla Hospital and Research Centre, Bijnor, said.