COVID-19 India News Updates: India recorded 1,59,632 new cases of the novel coronavirus, along with 327 deaths due to the infection in the past 24 hours. According to the data shared by the Union Health Ministry on Sunday (January 9), the country saw a total of 40,863 discharges in the last 24 hours, taking the total recovery rate at around 97.30 per cent and total recoveries data reached to 3,44,53,603.
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, West Bengal is now amongst the list of top two States with the highest active cases. The active cases of the state have contributed to over 51,000 cases or 10.88 per cent of the cases in India. 
Amid the surge in COVID-19 cases, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Saturday said that weekend lockdown will not be imposed in the city for now. She further said that 2500 beds are available at the BKC Jumbo COVID-19 Centre and that so far there are no ICU patients at the centre.
Delhi's air quality improved from 'moderate' category to 'satisfactory' on Sunday with the Air Quality Index (AQI) standing at 90, as the capital city and its adjoining areas witnessed heavy rainfall and thunderstorm for two continuous days, as per the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR)-India.
With the spike in COVID-19 cases, India is witnessing a third wave of the pandemic which is said to be driven by the Omicron variant and experts are continuously warning that it is highly contagious and cannot be taken lightly. Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, a Senior Consultant at Apollo Hospitals said, "We should definitely not take Omicron lightly because a few fraction of the patients will definitely become sick. We are already seeing a rise in hospitalizations. I suppose we don't think that Omicron is that virulent, but if you have underlying uncontrolled diabetes, you have bronchitis or asthma, you're going to become sick. Even before Omicron or even before this COVID came in all these patients who were immunocompromised or who were vulnerable, became sick with any infection. So what I will say is because it is so highly infectious, and so many people are getting infected, you might be young, you might come over it but if you belong to the vulnerable population, then don't take it lightly." He further said, "So don't take it lightly. There's no reason to panic. That's what I would say. But yes, you cannot take it lightly and you should not throw your guards you should be guarded in your approach till the time we come over this pandemic." Meanwhile, Maharashtra continues to record the maximum Omicron cases followed by Delhi, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Kerala in India. Also, several states have imposed restrictions and night curfew, to curb the spread of the infection.
Hello and welcome to India TV Digital's coverage of all the breaking news coming across from India and the world. Stay home, stay safe, and stay informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news photos, videos, views and top stories from politics, sports, education, science, entertainment, lifestyle, yoga, and much more from India and worldwide.
In view of rising cases of COVID-19, Gujarat High Court on Friday said that it will function in virtual mode till further orders. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are 14,346 active COVID cases in the state presently.Republic Day 2024 : As India's 75th Republic Day Parade kicked off in the national capital, a 30-member band contingent and a marching c...
