India records 180 new COVID-19 cases, active tally at 2,804

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India has logged 180 new COVID-19 cases, while the number of active cases of the infection has declined to 2,804, the health ministry said on Tuesday, reported news agency PTI.

Three deaths have been reported from Maharashtra in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am, reported PTI.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, 2023 but they again began to increase after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.

A single day rise of 841 new COVID-19 cases were reported on December 31, 2023 which is 0.2 per cent of the peak cases reported in May 2021, official sources said, reported PTI.

Of the total active cases, a large majority of these (around 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation, reported PTI.

"The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in new cases nor a surge in hospitalisation and mortality," the sources stated, reported PTI.

India has witnessed three waves of COVID-19 in the past with the peak incidence of daily new cases and deaths being reported in the Delta wave during April-June 2021, reported PTI.

At its peak, 4,14,188 new cases and 3,915 deaths were reported on May 7, 2021.

Since the pandemic began in early 2020, more than 4.5 crore people have got infected and over 5.3 lakh people have died across the country due to the infection.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry's website.

According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered in the country.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Monday reported 35 new COVID-19 cases and three fresh fatalities linked to the respiratory illness, officials said, reported PTI.

Of the three deaths caused due to COVID-19, one each was reported from Pune city, Navi Mumbai and Sangli district, they said.

Among the new COVID-19 cases, the Mumbai administrative circle logged the highest at 19, followed by 11 in the Pune circle, three in Kolhapur and one each in Nashik and Latur circles, said the officials, reported PTI.

An administrative circle consists of multiple districts.

At present, Maharashtra has 630 active cases of COVID-19 with the Mumbai circle accounting for the highest at 312, they said, reported PTI.

So far, 250 cases of the new coronavirus sub-variant JN.1 have been found in Maharashtra, the officials added, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)