India reports 90,928 COVID cases in 24 hrs

Government officials privately say daily cases in the country’s third wave of infections could surpass the record of more than 414,000 hit last May. They also warn that many people are taking the omicron variant lightly and not wearing masks as most cases have been mild, reports Reuters.

Top health official Vinod Kumar Paul declined to estimate a new peak but said even mild cases could put pressure on the country’s health systems.

“There is no room for complacency,” he told a weekly media briefing, adding omicron was driving surges in the cities. “Don’t take it for granted. We don’t know, the system can get overwhelmed, your household can get overwhelmed.”

Nevertheless, the government reduced the number of home quarantine days for mild and asymptomatic patients to a week, from 10 or 14 days previously.