Covid-19 Omicron India Highlights: India seeing exponential rise in infections, R naught value higher than 2nd wave peak
The number of Covid-19 cases in India is increasing at an exponential rate, which is thought to be driven by the Omicron variant, the Centre said on Wednesday, noting that the country's R naught value, which indicates the spread of the infection, is 2.69, up from 1.69 at the peak of the pandemic's second wave. According to Dr. Balram Bhargava, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), cities are seeing an increase in the number of Covid cases, and "the Omicron variant is the predominant circulating strain." According to the government, India has reported a 6.3-fold increase in Covid-19 cases in the last eight days, with a sharp increase in case positivity from 0.79 percent on December 29, 2021 to 5.03 percent on January 5, 2022. The Union health ministry stated that Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Jharkhand, and Gujarat have emerged as states of concern due to an increase in Covid-19 cases, and that 28 districts in the country have reported weekly positivity of more than 10%, while 43 districts have reported weekly positivity of 5-10%. Meanwhile, the government has ruled out the possibility of combining Covid-19 vaccines for a precautionary dose.