COVID-19 third wave in India? Country sees over 58,000 new cases, 534 deaths in 24 hours; Omicron tally crosses 2,000

India's active coronavirus caseload has now mounted to 2,14,004.

Representational Image (ANI)

New Delhi: The number of daily COVID-19 cases continued to rise in India as the country recorded 58,097 new infections in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed on Wednesday (January 5, 2022) morning.

While the daily positivity rate has now increased to 4.18%, the weekly positivity rate has mounted to 2.60%. With this, the country's active coronavirus caseload has jumped to 2,14,004.

India's death toll also rose by 534 in the last 24 hours and currently stands at 4,82,551.

India's Omicron tally crosses 2,000 

India's Omicron tally has crossed 2,000 on Tuesday and the new COVID-19 variant has now been detected in 24 states and UTs. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, out of the total 2,135 Omicron infections across the country, 828 have been discharged, recovered or migrated.

Maharashtra with 653 Omicron cases, Delhi with 464, Kerala with 185 and Rajasthan with 174 cases have been the worst-hit states in the country.

India witnessing third wave of COVID-19 

It is noteworthy that Dr N K Arora, the chairman of the COVID-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), has recently said that India is witnessing the third wave of COVID-19 and that the Omicron variant accounts for over 50% of new cases. 

"This massive surge in the number of cases over the last one week is indicative of a third wave of the pandemic, which is being witnessed in several other countries," Dr N K Arora said.

Spiralling Omicron cases could lead to more dangerous variants

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the spiralling Omicron cases around the world could increase the risk of the emergence of newer and more dangerous variants.

"The more Omicron spreads, the more likely it is to be transmitted and replicate. Currently, Omicron is deadly and potentially deadly … probably a little less than Delta. What’s next? Who will tell you to throw it away," a senior WHO Emergency Officer said.

(With agency inputs)