New Delhi: India recorded 1,68,063 fresh infections in the past 24 hours. The recovery rate at 96.36 per cent accounted for 69,959 recuperations in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 3,45,70,131. The daily positivity rate stood at 10.64 per cent.

The number of active cases stood at 8,21,446 accounting for 2.29 per cent of the total number of cases. The active cases reported a rise of 97,827 in the last 24 hours. However, the mortality rate recorded at 1.35 per cent reported a spike in deaths recording 277 fatalities, taking the cumulative death toll to 4,84,213. Omicron variant reported across 27 states and union territories, recorded 4,461 cases the Union Health Ministry said today morning.

As per the new advisory issued by the government, contacts of COVID-19 patients, unless identified as high-risk, don’t need to be tested. It said asymptomatic individuals in community settings, patients who stand discharged as per home isolation guidelines, also patients discharged from a COVID-19 facility and individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel need not be tested. Moreover, the heath ministry pressed the states and Union territories to ensure there is no lapse in the preparation to battle Covid surge and stressed on maintaining a holistic synergy for seamless management of the pandemic.

The health bulletin documented 152.89 crore cumulative vaccinations under the nationwide vaccination drive, including 92.07 lakh administrations in the past 24 hours. The health dept began the administration a “precautionary” dose against the infection from Monday. More than 9 lakh healthcare and frontline workers and 60-plus citizens with comorbidities received their third Covid jab on the first day, the Health Ministry said.