Union health ministry on Friday issued a fresh warning against Covid-19 pandemic in the wake of the rise in Omicron cases, the newest variant of SARS-CoV-2. On December 23, the world recorded over 9 lakh Covid-19 cases, which indicates a fresh wave of the pandemic, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said on Friday during the ministry’s weekly press briefing.
Addressing a joint press conference on the pandemic, the health secretary said that 61 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated, while 89 percent has received their first COVID-19 dose.
Here’s what Health Ministry said:
- The world is witnessing the 4th surge of the pandemic. On December 23, over 9 lakh Covid cases have been recorded all over the world.
- Compared with Europe, North America and Africa, Asia is witnessing a decline in the number of fresh cases, but we have to be on guard, Rajesh Bhushan said.
- India has been recording around 7,000 Covid cases every day. Since the past 4 weeks, India’s daily case tally fell below 10,000
- India has seen two surges of the pandemic so far: one in September 2020 and the second in May 2021.
- At present, India’s cases are on the decline: Global case positivity rate is more than 6% while India’s case positivity rate is 5.3%, though there are regional variations.
- Cause of concern is the case positivity rate in Kerala and Mizoram.
- Around 20 districts in the country are reporting a weekly positivity between 5 and 10%
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(With inputs from agencies)
