India reports 1.41 lakh new Covid-19 cases, 21% higher than yesterday

New Delhi, Jan 08: India reported 1,41,986 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, taking India's total tally of COVID-19 cases to 35,368,372. An increase of 1,00,806 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

A total of 1,41,986 new coronavirus infections were reported in a day, the highest in around 222 days. The active Covid cases have increased to 4,72,169, the highest in around 187 days, according to the data.

The death toll has climbed to 4,83,463 with 285 fresh fatalities, it stated.

A total of 1,52,734 new infections were reported on May 31 last year.

The active cases have increased to 4,72,169 comprising 1.34 per cent of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate decreased to 97.30 per cent, the health ministry said.

An increase of 1,00,806 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours, it said.

In the major Indian cities, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is accounting for more than 50 per cent of the fresh cases of the infection and the massive surge in the number of cases over the last one week is indicative of a third wave of the pandemic, as is being witnessed in several countries, Dr N K Arora, the chairman of the COVID-19 working group of the NTAGI has said.

Noting that in the major metro centres and the surrounding regions, the new variant of the virus is accounting for over 50 per cent of the fresh cases, Arora said, "The galloping increase in the number of Covid cases over the last one week is indicative of the third wave, as is being seen in several other countries across the globe."

He, however, stressed that there is no need to panic.

Arora said over 80 per cent of the people in the country have been infected with the virus naturally, more than 90 per cent of the adults have received at least one dose of an anti-Covid vaccine and over 65 per cent are fully vaccinated.