New Delhi: India on Sunday recorded 5,357 new Covid-19 infections that took the country's active caseload to 32,814, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The death toll also increased to 5,30,965 with 11 fresh fatalities, the Health Ministry data updated at 8 am showed. While three deaths were reported from Gujarat, two were from Himachal Pradesh, and one each from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh besides one reconciled by Kerala.
The Covid-19 case tally has now jumped to 4.47 crore (4,47,56,616), and the active infections now comprise 0.07 per cent of the total cases.
The number of people who recovered from the disease increased to 4,41,92,837 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.19 per cent.
A look at state-wise Covid situation in India
With coronavirus making a comeback, India has stepped up vigilance and some states have brought back curbs that were in place during the first, second, and third waves of Covid-19.
Haryana, Kerala, Puducherry bring back mask mandate
Due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, the Haryana government has made face masks mandatory in public places.
Wearing face masks at all public places, where there is a gathering of more than 100 people, including government offices and malls, is mandatory, a bulletin issued by the Haryana Health Department said on Saturday.
With Covid-19 cases on the rise in Kerala, Health Minister Veena George on Saturday said masks are mandatory for pregnant women, the elderly, and those with lifestyle diseases as it was important to protect the elderly and bedridden patients from the disease.
The minister, who held a high-level meeting to evaluate the pandemic situation in the state, said that Covid-related deaths are mostly reported in people above 60 years and those with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes.
"We have increased the testing. Hospital admission cases are increasing slightly. However, among the total cases, only 0.8 per cent of patients require oxygen support while 1.2 per cent are admitted in ICUs," the minister said.
"Special care should be given to bedridden patients and elderly people at home. We should ensure that they are not affected by Covid-19. Those who have the elderly and bedridden or those affected with lifestyle diseases at home, should strictly take extra care and use masks and wash their hands with soap," she said.
As per the latest testing, the most number of people have been found infected with the Omicron variant.
The Puducherry government has also issued an advisory and made face masks mandatory for people in public places.
UP mandates Covid testing of international passengers
In view of the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases across the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has instructed officials concerned to ensure that international passengers are screened at all airports.
As per an order issued by the state government, all samples which test positive for Covid should mandatorily be sent for genome sequencing.
The state government order further states that the integrated Covid command centres should be activated, surveillance teams should be made active, rapid response teams should be sensitised, and 'nigrani samiti' should be formed at the district level.
Also, rapid response teams should visit the residence of Covid patients within 24 hours of the sample testing positive.
Hospitals asked to ramp up testing in Delhi
Hospitals, polyclinics, and dispensaries in Delhi have reportedly been instructed by health department authorities to scale up testing amid an upward trend in Covid-19 cases in the national capital in the past several days.
Authorities at these facilities have been told that anyone who visits such facilities and exhibits ILI (influenza-like illness) symptoms, such as fever, cough, and body aches is to be tested as cases have risen and the daily count is growing steadily, news agency PTI reported.
Delhi has witnessed more than 3,800 coronavirus cases during the March 30-April 7 period.
Amid a gradual increase in the number of Covid cases in Delhi, medical experts say the new XBB.1.16 variant of the virus could be driving the surge.
However, they maintained that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get booster shots of vaccines.
Centre reviews Covid-19 situation in states, UTs
Earlier this week, Union Health Minister Mandaviya chaired a meeting with health ministers of all states and Union Territories to review preparedness for the management of the Covid-19 situation.
"Centre and States need to continue working in collaborative spirit as was done during the previous surges for Covid-19 prevention and management," Mandaviya said in the virtual meeting on Friday.
He also urged the State Health Ministers to conduct mock drills of all hospital infrastructure on April 10 and April 11.
Mandaviya also urged them to identify emerging hotspots by monitoring trends of ILI/SARI cases and sending sufficient samples for testing of Covid-19 and H3N2 influenza cases.
Chaired a meeting to review COVID-19 situation with the Health Ministers of the States & Union Territories. Stressed on increasing covid testing & genome sequencing along with following COVID appropriate behaviour.
We have to be alert & avoid spreading any unnecessary fear. https://t.co/VdHazObxTS
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) April 7, 2023
States and UTs were briefed that India has been witnessing a steady increase in coronavirus infections with average daily cases rising to 4,188 in the week ending April 7 from 571 in the week ending March 17.
It was also observed that eight states are reporting a high number of Covid-19 cases in India with 10 or more districts reporting more than 10% positivity in Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi and over five districts reporting more than 5% positivity in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Haryana.
During the meeting, they were also informed that currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) is closely tracking one variant of interest (VOI), XBB.1.5 and six other variants are under monitoring (BQ.1, BA.2.75, CH.1.1, XBB, XBF and XBB.1.16).
It was highlighted that while Omicron and its sub-lineages continue to be the predominant variant, most of the assigned variants have little or no significant transmissibility, disease severity or immune escape.
