New Delhi: India recorded 8,318 fresh infections in the past 24 hours. The recovery rate at 98.34 per cent accounted for 10,967 recuperations in the last 24 hours taking the total recoveries to 3,39,88,797. The daily positivity rate stood at 0.86 per cent, less than 2 per cent for 54 consecutive days.

The number of active cases stood at 1,07,019; lowest in 541 days accounting for 0.31 per cent of the total number of cases. The active cases reported a decline by 3114 in the last 24 hours. However, the mortality rate recorded at 1.35 per cent reported a spike in deaths recording 465 fatalities, taking the cumulative death toll to 4,67,933.

World Health Organisation on Friday labelled the the B.1.1.529 strain of the coronavirus, as a variant of concern. Fear has prevailed across several nations as Omicron, the new variant from South Africa is more infectious than the Delta variant and the “most heavily mutated” version of coronavirus discovered so far claimed scientists. Nations like UK, US, Canada, Singapore, Germany, France, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia, among others, are imposing travel bans on multiple southern African nations. So far, infection due to Omicron has been reported from Israel, Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, PM Modi has called for a meeting to be attended by top government officials, on the COVID-19 and vaccination situation in the country.

As per the statistics reported to Ministry of Family Health and Welfare, so far 121.06 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country , including 73.58 lakh doses given in the last 24 hours.