This gesture has been welcomed by many. This comes amid the state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stating on Wednesday that if the state records 10,000 cases in a day, the COVID situation in the state would be similar to that of Delhi or Mumbai. Guwahati has seen the maximum number of COVID cases in the state and the government has converted train coaches into hospital beds with oxygen facility to meet any further rise in COVID numbers. Most government hospital and COVID care centre beds are filled as of Wednesday.
Read moreScientific advisor to the Government of India and other top experts at the Centre had on Wednesday said that a third wave of COVID is imminent and the Centre and states need to brace themselves up to tackle the third wave.
Meanwhile, India has reported 4,12,262 new cases of Covid-19 and 3,980 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry. The total number of cases rose to 2,10,77,410, total recoveries were at 1,72,80,844. The total death toll stands at 23,01,68. India has a total of 35,66,398 active cases at the moment.
There are reports of a new mutation of the novel coronavirus, called the N440K variant or the AP (Andhra Pradesh) variant. Reports say that this new mutant variant has already spread beyond the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Read moreIt has been found in 20 to 30% of the samples tested in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. As per the initial observation, this new N440K variant is said to be 15 times more 'virulent' than the earlier mutations meaning it spreads faster, has a shorter incubation period and the infection spreads much more rapidly within the human body. More studies are being conducted to confirm these findings.
