India's daily Covid tally crosses 800 for the first time after four months

At 5,839, the active cases now comprise 0.01 per cent of the total infections. The national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.80 percent, according to the health ministry website.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,41,58,161 and the case fatality rate stands at 1.19 percent.

According to the ministry's website, 220.64 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive.

On Friday, Israel's Health Ministry has confirmed that two people who returned from abroad were found to be carrying a previously unidentified Covid variant. According to the ministry, the virus is a combination of the BA.1 (omicron) and infectious BA.2 variants.

Although Omicron infections have been decreasing in the past week, the rising BA.2 infections have caused concern among Israel's health ministry officials.

The XBB.1.16 variant of Covid-19 could be behind the recent surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, according to experts quoted by several reports lately. Ever since the H3N2 influenza virus made headlines, the country has witnessed a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.

Taking the situation into consideration, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry had on Thursday urged six states — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka — to follow strict testing, tracking, treating and vaccinations.