Third wave in India: Covid cases rise in some states, dip in other states

While states like Delhi and West Bengal reported a dip in new cases on Tuesday, COVID cases in Karnataka are still high.

New Delhi:While the COVID-19 health crisis looms on the nation's health system, India successfully vaccinated half of its teens with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday. While states like Delhi and West Bengal reported a dip in new cases on Tuesday, both the states recorded an uptick in daily new cases on Wednesday. The national capital reported 11,684 fresh COVID-19 cases on Tuesday; fresh cases in West Bengal stood at 10,430 yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Wednesday recommended granting regular market approval to Covid vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, which are currently only authorised for emergency use in the country, subject to certain conditions.

The COVID tally in Karnataka

Karnataka reported 40,499 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. The new cases reported in the state is 40,499 while the state capital Bengaluru reported 24,135 new cases. The positivity rate rests at 18.80 per cent.

The number of active cases in Karnataka is 2,67,650, as of Wednesday while in Bengaluru it is 1,84,000. Karnataka reported 21 COVID related deaths on Wednesday with 5 being reported from Bengaluru. The state undertook 2,15,312 COVID-tests as of Wednesday.

COVID-hit national capital records marginal increase in cases

Delhi reported 13,785 fresh COVID-19 cases and 35 more fatalities due to the viral disease on Wednesday, while the positivity rate climbed to 23.86 per cent. The national capital had logged 11,684 Covid cases and 38 deaths due to the disease on Tuesday, while the positivity rate had declined to 22.47 per cent. The national capital had logged 11,684 Covid cases and 38 deaths due to the disease on Tuesday, while the positivity rate had declined to 22.47 per cent.

Meanwhile, following Centre's instruction to states and union territories to enhance Covid testing, all districts in Delhi have been given targets according to the active cases there to increase the number of tests being conducted. Earlier in the day, Delhi Health Minister said no one is being denied a Covid test in the city and the authorities are following the guidelines issued by the Centre.

Tamil Nadu COVID numbers

Tamil Nadu reported 26,981 new COVID19 cases on Wednesday. The state also reported 17,456 recoveries and 35 deaths related to the infection in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, the opposition AIADMK on Wednesday claimed there was hardly any justification in allowing state-owned liquor outlets and bars in Tamil Nadu to function amidst increasing coronavirus cases; and hit out at the ruling DMK government in its strategy to contain the pandemic.

Former Punjab CM tests positive for COVID

Former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday tested positive for COVID-19. The 94-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal patriarch was admitted to Ludhiana's Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH ) in the afternoon.

COVID cases in West Bengal increase

West Bengal on Wednesday registered 11,447 new Covid-19 cases, 1,017 more than the previous day's figure, pushing the tally to 19,28,261. Thirty-eight more people also died due to the disease, with Kolkata accounting for the most of them at 14, taking the death toll to 20,193. Altogether 15,418 people were cured of the disease during the day and the discharge rate now is 91.09 per cent.

COVID-hit Mumbai

Mumbai on Wednesday reported 6,032 new coronavirus positive cases, 117 less as compared to the previous day, and 12 fresh fatalities, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. With this, the city's infection tally rose to 10,17,999 and death toll to 16,488, while the recovery count rose to 9,66,985. The city witnessed a dip in the number of cases, after reporting 6,149 cases on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 43,697 new COVID-19 cases and 49 deaths on Wednesday. 214 fresh cases of Omicron variant were detected in the state on Wednesday.

The tally in Gujarat

Gujarat on Wednesday recorded its highest single-day rise of 20,966 new coronavirus infections besides 12 deaths. On Tuesday, the state had reported 17,119 new cases, the highest one-day rise till then. People should not take the Omicron variant of coronavirus as lightly as common flu and must follow precautions like social distancing, members of the Gujarat government's COVID-19 task force said earlier in the day.

COVID in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh reported 17,776 fresh coronavirus cases on Wednesday that pushed its active infection tally to 98,238, while seven more fatalities raised the death toll to 22,990. Lucknow recorded a maximum of 3,516 new cases, followed by 2,003 from Ghaziabad, 1,403 from Gautam Buddh Nagar, 958 from Meerut and 570 from Varanasi, among other districts.

Odisha on Wednesday recorded 11,607 new COVID-19 cases, 521 more than the previous day, and 145 more Omicron cases taking the tally of the new variant to 347.

(With agency inputs)