Omicron not common cold, warns govt; 300 districts see over 5% 7-day positivity rate

India is witnessing a “phenomenally high” growth rate in Covid-19 cases with 300 districts recording above 5% weekly positivity rate, up from 78 districts a week ago, officials said. The surge in cases is also evident as more states are reporting high case load, with some including poll bound Uttar Pradesh (14 times), Bihar (11.27 times) and Madhya Pradesh (10.95 times) witnessing an exponential rise in active caseload over last one week.