Masks (and fines) back in Delhi, daily cases top 2,000: Today's 7 Covid updates
The government’s decision on mix and match of the Covid-19 booster is expected to come in the next two weeks as India’s daily cases crossed the 2,000-mark again on Wednesday. Here are 7 things you need to know about the Covid-19 situation in India.
For April 21 Covid updates in India, click here
The number of coronavirus cases in India are increasing after several states relaxed Covid-19 curbs, including the mask mandate, in March. However, with authorities fearing a resurgence of the infection, both the centre and state governments are raising their shields again.
The union government on Tuesday advised five states - Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana and Mizoram, which are reporting a slight surge in Covid-19 cases - to monitor the spread and take prompt steps. The centre also stressed on the need to maintain 'an effective watch and pre-emptive action to contain any imminent surge' in a letter to Kerala, which, it said, was not reporting state-level data regularly.
7 things you need to know about the Covid-19 situation in India:
1. Single-day spike of over 2,000 cases in India
For the second time this week, India’s daily cases crossed the 2,000-mark. In the last 24 hours, India logged 2,067 fresh infections - 66 per cent higher than the previous day. 40 new Covid-linked deaths were also reported.
2. Delhi re-imposes mask mandate as cases top 600
Covid-19 masks will once again be mandatory in Delhi. Those found without masks will be fined ₹500. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have already issued orders to districts part of the national capital region to make masks mandatory again. Schools in Delhi, meanwhile, will continue physical classes with adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
The national capital on Tuesday added 632 cases of Covid-19. No new deaths were reported. The positivity rate was 4.4 per cent and hospital beds remain largely empty.
3. Active cases in India up by 1,470 in seven days
The active caseload went up by 480 cases on Wednesday and now stands at 12,340 or 0.03 per cent. Last Wednesday (on April 13) the number of active cases was 10,870. Total 1,470 active cases were added in the last seven days, an average of 210 cases per day.
4. Daily positivity rate doubles in eight days
The national daily positivity rate doubled in eight days and rose to 0.44 per cent on Wednesday. The positivity rate stood at 0.21 per cent on April 12. The weekly positivity rate on Wednesday was recorded at 0.38 per cent, according to the health ministry. Though the increase is still less than in other nations hit by an omicron varint-led surge, experts say that we must not let our guards down and continue to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
5. Maharashtra logs three new deaths in the last 24 hours
Maharashtra logged 127 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking its cumulative tally to 7,876,041, the latest health department bulletin showed. Also, there were fresh fatalities after three days, with as many as three people succumbing to the viral illness, pushing the overall toll to 147,830, according to the bulletin.
6. Over 30 per cent children among new cases in UP's Gautam Buddh Nagar
In what could be a matter of concern for the health department and parents, 33 children among 107 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar district yesterday, news agency PTI reported. The district, adjoining Delhi, had reported 65 new cases, including 19 children, on Monday.
7. Government decision on mix and match of booster jabs soon
The government’s decision on mix and match of the Covid-19 booster is expected to come in the next two weeks, sources familiar with the development said. “The sample testing has begun and in a week or so we should be able to generate relevant data,” vaccine experts in Vellore counting the study said.
