COVID-19 cases will increase rapidly in coming days, warns NTAGI chief N K Arora

New Delhi: Dr NK Arora, chairman of COVID-19 working group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), has warned on Tuesday that the country will witness a rapid increase in COVID-19 infections in the days to come.

NTAGI is a government panel that monitors the country's coronavirus advisory committee. Dr Arora also warned that there are around 3-4 sub-lineages of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the COVID-19.

"There are 3-4 sub-lineages of Omicron variant of coronavirus. These sub-lineages could be different when it comes to diagnosis but their epidemiological behaviour is the same," Arora was cited as saying by news agency ANI.

There are 3-4 sub-lineages of Omicron variant of coronavirus. These sub-lineages could be different when it comes to diagnosis but their epidemiological behaviour is same: Dr NK Arora, Chairman of COVID-19 Working Group of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) pic.twitter.com/fa8ytmdcMT

— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2022

However, sounding a fresh alarm, the NTAGI chief said that as per research, the COVID-19 infections are only going to rise in the coming days. "IIT's modelling shows Covid-19 cases will increase rapidly in the coming days, which is, in fact, happening. Covid-appropriate behaviour and vaccination coverage are two important factors to contain its spread. Administrative steps like curfews also help," he said.

IIT's modelling shows COVID cases will increase rapidly in the coming days, which is, in fact, happening. COVID appropriate behaviour and vaccination coverage are two important factors to contain its spread. Administrative steps like curfews also help: Dr NK Arora pic.twitter.com/7hMXNURg1x — ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2022

The warning from the NTAGI chief came on a day when India reported 1,68,063 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As compared to Monday, the total number of fresh COVID cases is slightly down by 11,660. India had reported 1,79,723 cases on Monday. With 428 fresh Omicron infections detected in the last 24 hours, the national tally of this highly transmissible COVID-19 variant has climbed to 4,461.

Meanwhile, the tally of the active cases of COVID-19 reached 8,21,446. The daily positivity rate now stands at 10.64 per cent. There is a slight decline in the positivity rate, which was 13.29 per cent on Monday.

The Ministry further informed that 69,959 people recovered from the infection in the last 24 hours, taking the recovery tally to 3,45,70,131. The recovery rate is at 96.36 per cent. The country also witnessed 277 new COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours. 

As many as 4,84,213 people have succumbed to the infection so far. India has administered a total of 152.89 crore vaccine doses so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive.