Amid Omicron scare, India records lowest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases in 558 days

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: India recorded its lowest single-day spike in COVID-19 cases in 558 days, the Union Health Ministry informed on Tuesday (December 7, 2021) morning. 

The country reported 6,822 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, of which, Kerala recorded 3,277 cases. 

India's active caseload has now dropped to its lowest in 554 days and currently stands at 95,014. The Health Ministry stated that the active cases in the country account for less than 1 per cent of total cases.

On the other hand, 10,004 recoveries in the last 24 hours took the cumulative recovery tally in India to 3,40,79,612. The Recovery rate is currently at 98.36 per cent.

The country also reported 220 fresh COVID-19-related fatalities and the death toll now stands at 4,73,757. The 220 new fatalities include 168 from Kerala, of which, 30 were logged over the last few days and 138 were designated as COVID-19 deaths after receiving appeals based on the new guidelines of the Centre and the directions of the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, 128.76 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Earlier on Monday, two more cases of the Omicron were reported in Maharashtra, taking the total tally of the new COVID-19 variant in the state to 10 and the total number of infections in the country to 23.

A 37-year-old man who arrived in Mumbai from South Africa and his 36-year-old female friend who landed in the city from the United States have both tested positive for Omicron.

India, notably, reported its first two cases of Omicron variant in Karnataka, followed by Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Rajasthan.