Start of fourth Covid-19 wave? India sees BIG jump, reports 7,240 new cases

New Delhi: Amid fear of fourth wave, India has recorded 7,240 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours and the active cases have risen to 32,498. The government said India also reported 8 deaths in the last 24 hours. Yesterday (June 8), India witnessed 5,233 fresh Covid-19 cases, which was again a 40% jump from the day before. So for the second consecutive day, the country is seeing a 40% spike in cases as compared to the previous day. 

Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Tuesday witnessed an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases. The state recorded 2,701 new coronavirus cases. According to state health department, of the new cases reported, 1,765 patients were from Mumbai. The state had recorded 1,881 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday of which 1,242 were detected in Mumbai. Maharashtra had reported one case of the B.A. 5 variant on Tuesday. No death due to coronavirus was reported on Tuesday. 

The Union health ministry had asked states and UTs with the highest number of active cases - Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana - to take measures to check the rise in cases. In Maharashtra, the state government on Saturday made the use of face masks mandatory in closed public spaces such as trains, buses, cinemas, auditoriums, offices, hospitals, colleges, and schools."There has been some increase in positive cases in limited cluster areas like Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and Palghar districts, leading to the hike in India's active cases. Thus, we appeal to the public to wear masks in areas of the surge," Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope told reporters.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the pandemic was not yet over and urged caution, even as many countries have dropped their coronavirus protocols and segued into trying to live with the virus. Tedros noted that 18 months after the first mass coronavirus immunization programs began in rich countries, 68 countries have yet to protect 40% of their populations. While enough vaccines are now available, demand has fallen, he said. "The perception that the pandemic is over is understandable, but misguided," the WHO chief said. "A new and even more dangerous variant could emerge at any time, and vast numbers of people remain unprotected."

(With inputs from Agencies)