India reports 16,051 new Covid-19 cases, 206 deaths

Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Covid-19 tally rose to 20,13,353 with 278 new infections recorded at a positivity rate of 0.91% in the last 24 hours, according to a bulletin issued by the state health department on Sunday.

In Maharashtra, with the addition of 74 new cases of coronavirus, the infection count in Thane district has gone up to 7,07,986, an official said on Monday. These new cases were reported on Sunday, he said.

There was no report of any fatality due to the viral infection and the death toll remained unchanged at 11,862, he said, adding that the COVID-19 mortality rate in the district was 1.67 per cent.

In neighbouring Palghar district, the COVID-19 case count has gone up to 1,63,306 and the death toll stands at 3,391, another official said.

Meanwhile, average daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations are continuing to fall in the US, an indicator that the omicron variant’s hold is weakening across the country. Total confirmed cases reported Saturday barely exceeded 100,000, a sharp downturn from around 800,850 five weeks ago on January 16, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Also, international tourists and business travellers began arriving in Australia with few restrictions on Monday for the first time in almost two years after the government lifted some of the most draconian pandemic measures of any democracy in the world. Vaccinated travellers were greeted at Sydney’s airport by jubilant well-wishers waving toy koalas and favourite Australian foods including Tim Tams chocolate cookies and jars of Vegemite spread.