India on Friday reported 17,336 new Covid-19 cases, registering 30% increase in the daily count. The total active caseload in the country now stands at 88,284. The weekly positivity rate is 3.07%, while the daily positivity rate has risen to 4.32%. The total number of samples tested are 4,01,649.
The country reported 13,313 new Covid cases on Thursday with Maharashtra accounting for 5,218, of which Mumbai reported 2,479 cases. Following the spike in the daily count, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday directed health officials to ramp up testing and monitoring hospitalisation. They have been asked to continue to focus on surveillance and on whole genome sequencing to scan for any possible mutation. The minister stressed on the need to focus on districts with high positivity rate and undertake adequate testing with a higher proportion of RTPCR tests to assess and control the spread of infection. He urged the administration to increase the pace of vaccination, including booster doses in districts reporting higher number of cases.
“As there are adequate vaccine doses available, let there be no vaccine wastage while focusing on accelerating vaccination among the eligible and vulnerable groups,” he said.
PTI adds: Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 1,447 new Covid cases and one more death on Friday, while the positivity rate dropped to 5.98%, according to data shared by the sate health department.