India reported 117,100 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, the highest daily increase in nearly seven months, as it battles a surge in cases driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant that threatens to put pressure on medical resources.
India’s capital Delhi reported 15,097 new cases, the highest since May 8, according to state health bulletins. The financial capital Mumbai reported 20,181 new cases, the second consecutive day of record cases.
At least 313 resident doctors have tested positive for Covid-19 in four hospitals in Mumbai, according to Dr. Avinash Yadav of the Maharashtra Resident Doctors Association.
“We were already overworked with only 66% of resident physicians working in hospitals and now many of us are infected. Our healthcare infrastructure is suffering, ”Yadav said Friday.
For months, resident doctors have protested the delay in assigning hospitals to an incoming group of doctors, which according to the Indian Medical Association caused a shortage of 45,000 front-line doctors.
“Those of us who are mild and asymptomatic continue to work in the Covid wards, but taking every precaution to make sure we don’t infect patients,” Yadav said.
As of Thursday night, Mumbai had nearly 6,000 Covid-19 patients in the hospital with 16.8% of its hospital beds occupied, more than double the week ago on Dec. 31, according to local health bulletins. .
The Dharavi slum in Mumbai reported 107 new cases on Thursday, the highest increase since the start of the pandemic, according to local administrative officials.
India has reported a total of 35,226,386 Covid-19 cases, including 483,178 related deaths, according to the Indian Ministry of Health. At least 3,007 cases of the Omicron variant have been reported nationwide.
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