Coronavirus Pandemic May 3 News: The Indian SARS-CoV2 Genomics Sequencing Consortium or INSACOG has finally confirmed the presence of Omicron strain – XE variant – in India. Weeks after both Maharashtra and Gujarat reported about the highly viral strain, INSACOG analysis says that one of the cases reported is that of XE variant. While the INSACOG bulletin didn’t specify which state has the XE variant case, the officials had previously rejected Maharashtra’s report on the Omicron’s sub-variant. Officials, however, say that there is no need to panic. The XE variant of Omicron is said to be 10 per cent more transmissible than the BA.2 strain of Omicron, which is the dominant strain across the world at the moment. An Indian Express report quoted a government official saying that very few recombinant variants have been recognised in India so far and there are no reports of any Covid cluster due to such recombinant strains.

A decrease of 363 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

The health bulletin released in the morning shows that India logged 2,568 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours.

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury writes to PM Narendra Modi urging him to allow hybrid classes as schoolchildren continue to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19

Children aged 12 to 17 can now opt for Serum Institute's Covid jab Covovax at private centres; provision enabled on CoWIN portal: 

Mumbai on Monday reported 56 COVID-19 cases, which took the tally to 10,59,970, while the death toll remained unchanged at 19,563, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said.

The addition to the tally dipped below the 90-mark after six days, with the figure being 92 on Sunday and a high of 112 last week, he pointed out.

However, he also said only 4,243 tests were carried out in the last 24 hours against 7,856 over the previous 24-hour period.

The recovery rate increased by 45 to touch 10,39,768, leaving the city with an active caseload of 562, he said.

BMC data showed the overall number of coronavirus tests carried out in the metropolis was 1,69,06,861, while the positivity rate was 0.013 per cent and the recovery rate stood at 98 per cent.

It also showed that 53 of the 56 new cases were asymptomatic and the three persons admitted in hospital did not need oxygen support.

Only 19 of the 26,039 hospital beds earmarked for COVID-19 treatment are currently occupied.

The caseload doubling time was 7.989 days and the overall growth rate of cases between April 25 and May 1 was 0.008 per cent, as per civic data.

There are no sealed buildings or containment zones in Mumbai for a long time now, the BMC official added.

Mumbai had seen a record 20,971 cases on January 7, while the maximum number of deaths in a day, at 90, was witnessed on May 1 last year