India logged 636 new cases of Covid-19, while the number of active cases of the infection has increased to 4,394, the health ministry said. Three deaths due to Covid - two from Kerala and one from Tamil Nadu - have also been reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry’s data.
The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5 last year, but cases have again gone up after the emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.
The daily numbers were in millions at the peak of the pandemic, which began in early 2020 and has seen more than 45 million people getting infected and over 53,00,000 deaths in about four years since then across India. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at over 44 million with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry's website.
According to the website, 2,206 million doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered in the country.
Experts say the actual number of Covid-19 cases is likely to be much higher. “Not many people are getting the tests done as symptoms are mild and self-limiting,” a senior doctor said, adding that mandatory tests for symptomatic individuals aren't necessary at present. However, he added, surveillance should be continued to detect any sign of clustering of cases or increase in hospitalisation due to the disease at an early stage for timely warning and action.