India reports 865 new covid infections in a day
1 min read . Updated: 19 May 2023, 01:25 PM IST
PremiumWhile the current variants of the virus present a milder threat, with the possibility of widespread hospitalizations reduced due to hybrid immunity, the government continues to advise mask-wearing in crowded areas and completion of the vaccination schedule.
New Delhi: India has reported 865 fresh covid infections in the last 24 hours, with active cases at 9,092, the Union health ministry said in an update on Friday. The daily positivity rate now stands at 0.64%, and the weekly rate at 0.81%.
Total case tally since the pandemic first hit India in 2020 stands at 44.9 million cases, with death toll at 531,818.
The recent surge in infections was attributed to the XBB.1.16 variant of the coronavirus, but numbers have begun declining, scientists say.
Experts note that the virus is primarily afflicting elderly individuals and those with pre-existing health conditions. Hence, they have urged these demographics to get their covid-19 booster shots. The advice comes amid growing evidence of ‘hybrid immunity’ in the population - immunity gained both from vaccination and previous infection.
While the current variants of the virus present a milder threat, with the possibility of widespread hospitalizations reduced due to hybrid immunity, the government continues to advise mask-wearing in crowded areas and completion of the vaccination schedule.
With current recovery rate of 98.79%, India has seen about 444 million individuals recover from the infection, including 2,100 in the last 24 hours alone.
The health ministry has urged local authorities to adopt a risk assessment-based approach to combat the virus. It has recommended a granular analysis of Covid-19’s prevalence at the district and sub-district level and the implementation of necessary management measures to control the disease effectively.
Over the last 24 hours, about 135,873 tests were conducted, bringing the total number to 92.9 billion.
India’s vaccination drive has so far delivered over 220.66 billion doses nationwide, with about 1,050 doses administered in the last 24 hours.