Here are the top 10 updates on coronavirus in India:
The fast-spreading Omicron variant has spread to 26 states in India. A 73-year-old man in Rajasthan has become the first reported casualty due to the new Covid strain. The man was fully vaccinated and had no significant contact and travel history, according to the government.
The weekly positivity rate is 3.47 per cent; daily positivity rate is 6.43 per cent. Positivity rate is the percentage of all Covid tests that are actually positive. It will be high if the number of positive tests is high, or if the number of total tests is low.
The recovery rate is currently at 97.81 per cent. At least 19,206 people have recovered in the last 24 hours. The total number of people who have recovered is 3,43,41,009. Active cases account for less than 1 per cent of total cases, currently at 0.81 per cent. The active caseload stands at 2,85,401.
As many as 325 people have died of Covid during the period for which data for the latest Health Ministry figures was collected. This includes 258 deaths in Kerala in the last few months, added based on pending appeals after the last Supreme Court guidelines.
Several states have announced restrictions like night curfew as Covid cases continue to rise.
Maharashtra added 26,538 new cases to India's massive spike, followed by West Bengal, which reported 14,022 infections in a day.
The number of fresh Covid cases in Delhi nearly doubled within the last 24 hours, shooting up from 5481 to 10,665 in the biggest single-day spike since May 12. Eight deaths were also recorded -- the highest since June 26.
Those in the 15-18 age group are being inoculated now. Over 147 crore vaccine doses have been administered in India, making a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19.
The 'precautionary' dose - announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month after sustained demand for vaccine boosters in the light of the Omicron threat - is, for now, only available for frontline and healthcare workers, and those over 60 with co-morbidities, starting January 10. There will be no mix-and-match of vaccines for those eligible to get a 'precautionary' third dose, Dr VK Paul, the head of India's Covid task force, said.
Data has shown that the average daily rise of Covid this time is almost 21 per cent faster than during the second wave in March-April. A seven-day moving average showed that the cases have shot up from 56 to 199. Today's figures are likely to push the rate further north.
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