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

Editorial

External woes
Updated 21 May, 2026

External woes

Relying indefinitely on remittances to offset structural economic weaknesses is not sustainable.
Political activity
21 May, 2026

Political activity

THE opposition is astir. There is talk of widespread protests this Friday over a list of dissatisfactions with the...
Seizing hope
21 May, 2026

Seizing hope

ISRAEL’S tyranny knows no bounds. After intercepting the Global Sumud Flotilla that set sail last week, disturbing...
Hormuz gamble
20 May, 2026

Hormuz gamble

The Strait of Hormuz has become the real centre of the confrontation.
The unkindest cut
20 May, 2026

The unkindest cut

SUICIDE, a complex symptom of deep despair triggered by mental health problems, is hardly a moral issue. Punitive...
Ad hoc culture
20 May, 2026

Ad hoc culture

THE Supreme Court’s ruling against prolonged ad hoc and acting appointments is an indictment of a deeply ...