India restarts Covid vaccine production as new infections soar 30% in one day

Health officials conduct nationwide mock drills to test preparedness for Covid

India is ramping up its vaccine production following a rapid surge in Covid-19 cases driven by a new subvariant dubbed Arcturus.

The country recorded 10,158 news Covid cases on Thursday, a 30 per cent surge in one day, according to the federal health ministry data.

The XBB.1.16 strain, a sub-variant of Omicron, has been found in 22 countries, including Singapore, Australia, the UK and the US. It is believed to be responsible for the uptick in infections in India and seems to exhibit unique symptoms in children, one of which is conjunctivitis.