India on Friday reported 640 fresh COVID-19 cases taking its active caseload to 2,997, amid growing concerns over the spread of a new Omicron sub-variant.
This includes Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar district detecting its first case after months in a 54-year-old man.
The Noida resident, who works at a Gurugram MNC, had traveled to Nepal recently and is presently asymptomatic, officials said. His sample has been sent for genome sequencing.
The development comes as authorities remain vigilant over the highly transmissible BF 7 Omicron sub-variant that is behind the surge in China and parts of the US.
India’s COVID tally now stands at 4.5 crore, including 5.3 lakh deaths, of which one fatality was reported from Kerala on Friday. The recovery rate remains over 98%.
Officials said COVID testing has dipped considerably in recent months with only 640 out of over 3 lakh tests turning positive on Friday. They have appealed to people to follow safety protocols again amid the emerging threat.
Elderly citizens with co-morbidities have been specifically advised by the Centre to take precautions, avoid travel, and continue wearing masks as India aims to avert another COVID wave.
