India saw the highest single day increase in Covid cases since March 11.
India today reported 4,041 new Covid infections – the highest single-day jump since March 11 – stoking fears of another wave building in parts of the country that have eased almost all restrictions.
According to health ministry data, India has reported 43.17 million Covid infections and 524,651 casualties since the start of the pandemic, although the World Health Organization (WHO) has said the death toll is much higher. The daily positivity rate, or confirmed Covid cases as a percentage of overall tests, is 0.95% for India, while the weekly positivity rate has started to rise, data shows.
Maharashtra, which was also an early hotspot in previous virus waves in India, is again seeing a spike in Covid infections, with a positivity rate exceeding 8% this week. State capital Mumbai saw a 231% increase in hospitalizations in May as compared to the previous month. While there were only 215 hospitalizations in May, the trajectory has worried state officials. India’s devastating delta-led wave last summer pushed back daily cases to 400,000, overwhelming hospitals and cremation grounds.
According to letters dated June 3 sent by the health ministry to state governments, the Center has asked five states – Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu – to curb the rising infection. The ministry asked these states to “maintain strict vigil and take pre-emptive action” to control the spread of COVID.
Even as the world learns to live with Covid, highly-contagious versions of it such as Omicron are still triggering new waves in places like China, New Zealand and Taiwan that are so far the worst from the initial pandemic. The situation was avoided. The Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing continue to see cases despite strict containment measures, while Hong Kong revived some of its toughest restrictions as new cases flared up.