Union Health Minister to chair review meet with state health ministers amid surge in COVID cases

As India sees a nationwide surge in COVID-19 cases, Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya will chair a review meeting with the health ministers of all states and Union Territories on Friday afternoon. This comes after a routine meeting of the COVID empowerment working group was conducted on Wednesday, which was attended by Dr V K Paul, Dr Rajiv Bahl, DG, ICMR, and other senior health officials.

Sources suggest that this was a review meeting to assess the COVID situation and preparedness in the country, with the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) also in attendance. Speaking on the current situation, Mandaviya said, "We need to remain alert but there is no need to worry. Currently, the sub-variant of Omicron which is circulating in the country hasn't increased hospitalisation."

India recorded 5,335 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day rise in nearly six months, with a daily positivity rate of 3.32 per cent and a weekly positivity rate of 2.89 per cent. The daily fresh infections ranged between 2,994 on April 1 to 4,435 on April 5, as per the updated data by the Union Health Ministry. The active COVID caseload stands at 25,587 with a daily positivity rate of 3.32 per cent. The total number of recoveries stands at 4,41,82,538 with 2,826 recoveries in the last 24 hours, and the recovery rate stands at 98.75 per cent.