Positivity rate dips but over 2 lakh fresh infections in India

India on Sunday reported another major surge in Covid-19 cases with 2,71,202 fresh infections being registered in the past 24 hours. With this, the active caseload currently stood at 15,50,377 that comprised 4.81% of the total infections according to data released by the Health Ministry.

There is some slight relief as the daily positivity rate currently stands at 16.28 %, while the weekly positivity rate is at 13.69 %. The daily positivity rate is marginally lesser than Saturday's when it was 16.66 %.The union ministry declared 7743 cases of the Omicron variant that is said to be the cause behind the latest surge have been so far detected in the country.

With 314 deaths due to related complications, the cumulative fatality tally touched 4,86,066. Also, 1,38,331 patients were cured from the disease in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 3,50,85,721. The recovery rate in India is still extremely high at 94.5%.

Nevertheless, the rising number of cases in metro cities and elsewhere has promoted the state of Tamil Nadu to enforce a Sunday curfew, exempting flights and essential services as well as permitting functions with a cap of 100 people in attendance.

Maharashtra remained the top contributor to India's Covid curve with 42,462 new cases and 23 deaths as of Saturday. Karnataka overtook Delhi to hold the second spot with 32,793 new infections and seven deaths in a single day.

The positivity rate in Kolkata is also seeing a dip to 50-55% front the high of 70% last week although worries persist over a possible 'super-spreader' situation posed by the Gangasagar Mela, where lakhs of devotees travel to Gangasagar island on the Bay of Bengal to attend the festival. Covid restrictions have been slightly relaxed but will continue until the end of this month.

Delhi and Mumbai, two cities recording the highest cases of coronavirus disease, turned their Covid graph, reporting a dip in cases and signalling what appears to be a plateauing of infections. However, the national capital reported the highest number of Covid deaths. At least 30 fatalities were reported on Saturday, pushing the capital's January toll to 228.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George warned of a massive surge in infections which she predicted would occur in the next three weeks. The ruling CPI(M) government has already come under fire for Covid cases reported from large party meetings as well as a Thiruvathira dance function organised by the ruling which saw the health ministry register a case against the organisers.

Kerala's Test Positivity Rate (TPR) rose to 26.92% on Saturday as 17,755 more tested positive for COVID-19. Among them, 4,694 cases were reported from Thiruvananthapuram. The state now has 90,649 active cases.

In light of the prevailing increase in cases the Election Commission extended the ban on public rallies and roadshows in the five poll-bound states by a week, till January 22. The poll body granted relaxation to political parties in the states of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.