NEW DELHI: India recorded 188 fresh infections in the past 24 hours. The number of active cases rose to 3,468 accounting for 0.01 percent of the total number of cases. The total active count on Wednesday as reported by the MOHFW stood at 4,46 crore.

The recovery rate was recorded at 98.80 per cent and the total recoveries stood at 4,41,43,483. However, the mortality rate stood at 1.19 per cent with the cumulative death toll at 530696

With the administration of 90,529 vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 220.07 crores the updated data stated.

COVID Panel chief, NK Arora in a media interaction asserted that there is no need to panic over the fresh outbreak in China that has alarmed India. He pressed on following- pre-emptive and precautionary. India, he said, is just going through “precautionary and pre-emptive” preparations in absence of a free flow of information from China. It, however, is clear that the China outbreak is due to a cocktail of viruses, which behave differently due to local epidemiology.
The BF.7, he said, only accounts for 15 per cent of the cases. The majority — 50 per cent — is from the BN and BQ series, and SVV variant is 10-15 per cent.

On Tuesday, Bharat Biotech announced the prices of the intranasal vaccine that will be rolled out in January. Individuals could register for the needle-free injection at COWIN from Friday onwards. The jab which is been approved as a booster for both who were earlier administered with COVAXIN or COVISHIELD would cost RS 325 at a govt hospital and Rs 800 at private setups.