Global Covid cases now hit 304 million

Amid the global scare over the rising Omicron cases, the overall number of coronavirus cases has surged past 304 million.

According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 304,858,775 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,484,079 Sunday morning.

The US has recorded 59,766,818 cases so far and more than 837,262 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.

Hospitalisations of US children under five with Covid-19 soared in recent weeks to their highest level since the pandemic began, according to government data released Friday on the only age group not yet eligible for the vaccine, reports AP.

The worrisome trend in children too young to be vaccinated underscores the need for older kids and adults to get their shots to help protect those around them, said Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since mid-December, with the highly contagious Omicron variant spreading furiously around the country, the hospitalisation rate in these youngest kids has surged to more than four in 100,000 children, up from 2.5 per 100,000.

Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January last year, registered 22,328,252 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 619,654.

India's Covid-19 tally rose to 35,368,372 on Sunday, as 141,986 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the health ministry's latest data.

Besides, 327 more deaths were recorded since Saturday morning, taking the death toll to 483,790.

In India, 3,071 cases of Omicron variant were reported till Sunday morning of which 1,203 have recovered or migrated.