India's health ministry reported 3,712 new coronavirus infections for the past 24 hours on Thursday, the highest in nearly a month, driven up by a record number cases recorded in the financial capital, Mumbai.

The city reported 739 cases on Wednesday night, more than double the number it had recorded just two days earlier, 318.

“Trend graph of Mumbai shows a silent wave, mild Omicron variants. Protect vulnerables, keep close watch on hospitalisation,” Shashank Joshi, a member of the state government task force on Covid-19 said on Twitter late on Wednesday.

“There is no rise in hospitalisations. People are quarantining themselves at home and recovering at home. There is no need to worry,” state health minister Rajesh Tope told reporters on Wednesday.

Mumbai was one of the first cities to be affected in India's devastating second wave of the pandemic in 2021, but was lauded for its efficient tackling of the crisis.

India has recorded more than 43 million cases and 524,641 deaths since the pandemic began.

Opinion

The Dar story continues

The Dar story continues

One wonders what the rationale was for the foreign minister — a highly demanding, full-time job — being assigned various other political responsibilities.

Editorial

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