India today recorded 10,158 fresh Covid-19 cases, which is 30 per cent more than yesterday taking the total number of active cases to 44,998, according to data by the Union health ministry.

The country had recorded 7,830 fresh cases yesterday.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 4.42 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was 4.02 per cent.

Government officials are of the view that Covid has entered the endemic stage in India and cases will rise for the next 10-12 days, after which the infections are expected to come down. In the endemic stage, an infection is restricted to a particular region and is not as widespread as a pandemic.

The XBB.1.16 subvariant of Omicron, which is driving the latest surge, is relatively milder form pf Covid and does not require hospitalisation in most cases. Vaccines are also effective against it, health ministry officials said.