JAKARTA - Indian authorities reported more than 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 in a day, prompting the Ministry of Health to issue safety guidelines.
About 10,158 new infections have been recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total active cases to nearly 45,000, an increase of more than three times in the past week.
India has recorded more than 44 million cases and nearly 531,000 deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.
In the latest spike in infections, South Kerala recorded 1,613 new cases in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the State of West Maharashtra recorded more than 1,100 new cases the highest daily spike in seven months. while Mumbai, India's financial capital, reported 320 cases.
In addition to the spike in infections, Indian health authorities also recorded 15 deaths according to the Ministry of Health's latest data.
In a tweet on Thursday, India's Ministry of Health asked citizens to "follow the behavior appropriate for COVID to beat" the infection. Previously, India lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in March last year.
#Unite2FightCorona#IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/n5gt8DYZKa
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) April 13, 2023
In North Uttar Pradesh, the Head Minister of Yogi Adityanath urged officials to make a special COVID hospital function and reactivate the Integrated COVID Control and Command Center. The state is known to have nearly 1,800 positive cases.
Along with the spike in infections, the world's largest vaccine producer Serum Institute of India has restarted the manufacture of the Covishield vaccine.
The institute is the country's first vaccine producer to produce the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield. Vaccine production was halted in December 2021 due to adequate stock, reduced demand and slow take of booster doses.
The chief executive of the Adar Poonawala institute told the Times of India that the company has six million doses of the Covovax vaccine booster available.
India witnessed one of the worst pandemic waves in April and May 2021, with millions contracting the Delta variant. At least 240,000 people are thought to have died from COVID-19 during that period.
Hospitals across the country run out of space and lack of staff, medicine, and equipment to handle the number of cases. A desperate family looks for oxygen cylinders as hospitals grapple with supply shortages.
Amid fears of a potential fourth wave, the Ministry of Health has conducted national exercises to step up emergency plans, and called on private hospitals and the government to check the availability of oxygen beds, ventilators, PPE equipment, as well as other critical care equipment and services.
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