Delhi and Mumbai have shown the maximum Covid spike.
The number of fresh Covid case in Delhi has crossed the 1000-mark after 7 months, reaching 1,313 -- a 42 per cent rise over the previous day's figures. The positivity rate touched 1.73 per cent, showed data from the health department. No fresh deaths were reported.
On May 26, the national capital had reported 1,491 cases with a positivity rate of 1.93 per cent and 130 deaths.
The national capital had logged 923 cases of coronavirus on Wednesday -- a massive 86 per cent jump from Tuesday and the highest since May 30.
Thursday's spike came as the government wrote to eight states, urging them to take immediate measures to control the sudden surge in multiple cities.
While Delhi and Mumbai have shown the maximum spike, numbers are showing an uptick in other cities.
Gujarat's Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat have reported a sudden in Covid cases over the last two weeks.
Jharkhand's Ranchi, Karnataka's Bengaluru Urban, Haryana's Gurgaon, Tamil Nadu's Chennai, Maharashtra's Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Pune, Thane and Nagpur, and West Bengal's Kolkata have also reported a sudden and significant surge in the same period, the Centre has said.
The Union health ministry has advised the states concerned to take immediate measures -- ramp up tests, trace contacts, ensure proper isolation or quarantine of people testing positive and speed up vaccination.
It has also advised setting up containment zones and buffer zones and keeping hospitals and Covid centres ready for any emergency.
Data has shown that the average daily rise of Covid this time is almost 21 per cent faster than during the second wave in March-April. A seven-day moving average showed that the cases have shot up from 56 to 199. Today's figures are likely to push the rate further north.
Earlier this week, Delhi imposed a series of restrictions under the Yellow Alert -- part of the city's four-stage Graded response Action Plan or GRAP drawn up in anticipation of a possible third wave.
Malls, restaurants, shops, cinema halls spas and gyms were shut. So were schools and colleges. Private offices are being allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity from 9 am to 5 pm.