India records over 2.60 lakh new Covid cases, positivity rate past 16%

India on Saturday reported 2,68,833 new infections of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), pushing the active caseload to over 14 lakh (14,17,820 to be exact).

The daily positivity rate now stood at 16.66 per cent. Active cases now comprised 3.85 per cent of the total number of cases registered so far.

According to the latest bulletin of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, there are 6,041 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant that is said to be driving the latest surge in pandemic.

The country recorded 402 related fatalities in the last that took the cumulative toll to 4,85,752. As many as 1,22,684 patients recovered from the viral disease during the day and put the total number of recoveries to 3,49,47,390.

The ministry further said 156.02 crore doses of vaccines against the virus have been administered so far under nationwide inoculation drive launched around this time last year. More than 58 lakh beneficiaries ((58,02,976 to be eaxct) were jabbed during the day.

About 70.07 crore samples have so far been tested for the virus of which 16,13,740 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.