The government said that Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Karnataka and Gujarat are emerging as states and UTs of concern on the basis of weekly Covid-19 cases and positivity rate.

It said that eight districts are reporting over 10 per cent weekly positivity, while 14 districts are reporting between 5-10 per cent positivity. India's R naught value, which indicates the spread of Covid-19, is 1.22 so cases are increasing, not shrinking, the government said. The country has reported more than 10,000 daily new Covid-19 cases after 33 days, it said stressing that there is a need for heightened vigil in view of sharp increase in infections. Evidence shows that the Omicron variant has a growth advantage over Delta with doubling time of 2-3 days, the government said quoting the WHO.