India reported 9,195 new COVID-19 cases and 302 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the active caseload to 77,002, the Health Ministry had announced on Wednesday, 29 December.
Meanwhile, a total of 781 cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus have been detected across 21 states and union territories in the country so far.
Delhi Sees 86 Percent Rise in Daily COVID Cases
Delhi saw an 86 percent rise in daily COVID tally, with 923 new cases reported on 29 December. The previous day, Delhi had reported 496 cases.
Ten days ago, Delhi had recorded only 91 new cases of COVID every day.
Delhi's 923 new cases of COVID-19 are the highest reported since 30 May, while the national capital's active cases stand at 2,191. The positivity rate is close to 1.29 percent.
The surge comes a day after the Delhi government imposed new restrictions under Yellow Alert, namely shutdown of schools, colleges, educational institutes, cinema halls, gyms, and spas.
Sharp Spike in Mumbai
Meanwhile, Mumbai reported 2,510 new COVID cases on Wednesday, an 82 percent rise from Tuesday's 1,377 cases. However, 10 days ago, on 20 December, the city had recorded just 204 cases.
Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray had held a meeting with civic officials. According to NDTV, he had said, "As the cases are rising rapidly, we urge everyone not to panic. However, we all must exercise extreme caution and ensure that we are vaccinated and masked up."
"It's worrying to see the number of active cases increasing in the state. Mumbai's positivity rate is at 4 percent. If this goes above 5 percent, then we will have to think about imposing restrictions. The CM will hold a meeting of the COVID Task Force soon," he had added.
Bengaluru, Kolkata See Rise in Cases
Capital cities of Karnataka and West Bengal too have seen a notable rise, with Bengaluru recording at least 400 cases and Kolkata registering 540 cases on 29 December.
On 20 December, the cities had just 146 and 145 cases, respectively.
45 Cases of Omicron in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian had said in Chennai on Wednesday that 45 cases of Omicron had been detected so far in the state.
"All these patients are asymptomatic and had received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine," he had said, according to ANI.
"The Chennai police has imposed restrictions on New Year's celebrations in hotels and public places. On 31 December, CM MK Stalin will hold a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation in the state," he had added.
Meanwhile, with 73 cases, Gujarat has the third-highest number of cases of Omicron in the country. Gujarat is followed by Kerala (65), Telangana (62), Rajasthan (46), and Karnataka (34).
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