India reported 141,986 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, the most since the end of May, as the omicron variant of the coronavirus overtakes the delta version in the cities.
The health ministry also reported 285 new deaths, taking the total to 483,463. Total infections stand at 35.37 million, reports Reuters.
Nearly 70 per cent of Indians had been infected with the coronavirus by the middle of last year, according to government serological surveys, while an almost equal proportion of adults have been fully vaccinated as of this week.
As cases have shot up, the health ministry said that starting from Jan 11 arrivals from all countries would have to isolate at home for a week. Some 2.0 per cent of such people would be tested at their port of arrival, and sent to institutional quarantine if found positive for COVID-19.
Earlier, only all those arriving from countries with a high number of cases had to be mandatorily tested and sent to institutional quarantine if found positive or home quarantine for a week if negative.
