Covid-19 positivity rate shoots up as Delhi and Mumbai register thousands of new cases

Healthcare workers wearing personal protective equipment are seen inside a makeshift facility created inside a sports complex, amidst the spread of coronavirus cases, in New Delhi, India on January 5, 2022.
Healthcare workers wearing personal protective equipment are seen inside a makeshift facility created inside a sports complex, amidst the spread of coronavirus cases, in New Delhi, India on January 5, 2022. (Mayank Makhija/NurPhoto/AP)

The cities of Mumbai and New Delhi have collectively recorded at least 25,831 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, according to officials.

On Tuesday evening, both cities had recorded a total of 16,341 new cases.

Delhi currently has a positivity rate of 11.88% with 10,665 new cases.

The positivity rate is the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested.

India recorded its first death due to the Omicron variant Wednesday. According to the health ministry, the individual had diabetes and other pre-existing conditions and was confirmed to have contracted the Omicron variant.

The Mumbai municipal corporation confirmed Wednesday that 15,166 new cases were recorded in the city in the past 24 hours. The city currently has more than 61,000 active cases.

India is expected to start administering booster shots on Jan. 10 to health care workers, frontline workers and people above the age of 60 years with pre-existing medical conditions.

source: cnn.com