New Delhi: India on Saturday reported over 62,000 corona cases—62,258 to be specific, the highles single-day hike since October 18, 2020. This took the country’s total COVID-19 caseload to 1,19,08,910. “India reports 62,258 new COVID-19 cases, 30,386 recoveries, and 291 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases: 1,19,08,910 Total recoveries: 1,12,95,023 Active cases: 4,52,647 Death toll: 1,61,240 Total vaccination: 5,81,09,773″, said the Union Health Ministry.
Earlier this week, the Union Health Ministry had said that a total of 771 variants of concerns (VOCs) have been detected in a total of 10,787 positive samples shared by the states and union territories, including a new double mutant variant. These include 736 samples positive for viruses of the UK (B.1.1.7) lineage, 34 samples of the South African (B.1.351) lineage and one sample of the Brazilian (P.1) lineage.
However, health experts, yesterday said that the double mutant variant may be less dangerous than expected as the most vulnerable patients are having only mild illnesses. The experts emphasised that as per the current evidence, new variants are observed from few states. But, details about its epidemiology are yet to be known.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare yesterday rushed two high-level multidisciplinary teams to Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh in view of the surge in the number of COVID-19 cases there. The teams shall work with the respective state and UT administration to ascertain the reasons for the surge, assist in undertaking gap analysis and recommend requisite COVID control and containment measures.