India recorded 2,82,970 new Covid-19 cases and 441 related deaths in the last 24 hours ending 8 am Wednesday, data updated by the Union Ministry of Health showed. The active caseload has increased to 18,31,000, up from yesterday’s 17.3 lakh. The daily positivity rate has also increased to 15.13 per cent. The Omicron tally has reached 8,961 — an increase of 0.79 per cent since yesterday, the Ministry said.

The third wave of the pandemic in its outset itself continued to sweep Kerala with the test positivity rate going up to 37.17 per cent on Wednesday. Kerala recorded 34,199 new Covid-19 cases and 49 deaths in the last 24 hours on Wednesday. The state also reported 8,193 recoveries taking the total active tally of Covid cases in the state to 1,68,383. The current death toll of the state is 51,160. Kerala health department data showed that the growth rate in newly declared cases increased by 211 per cent during the last week starting January 12.

Health minister Veena George said the state is witnessing the extreme spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. “In sharp contrast to the first and second waves, in which the state had delayed the peak of the pandemic, cases are spiking alarmingly in the initial stage of the third wave itself. Next three weeks would be critical for Kerala,” she said.