Ulan Bator, Oct 6 (IANS): Mongolia reported 2,409 new Covid-19 cases and 14 more deaths over the past 24 hours, bringing the national caseload to 317,010 and death toll to 1,303, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

One of the latest confirmed cases was imported from abroad, and the remaining ones were local infections, said the ministry, Xinhua news agency reported.

Currently, 22,158 Covid-19 patients are being hospitalised across the country, while 55,363 patients are receiving home-based care due to a shortage of hospital beds and medical staff, according to the ministry.

Although over 65 per cent of the country's population of 3.4 million have received two Covid-19 vaccine doses, the resurgence of the pandemic has continued due to the Delta wave, with more than 2,000 infections and more than 10 deaths reported every day.

Mongolian health authorities have urged the public to strictly follow all relevant health guidelines and receive the booster or a third dose of vaccines.

So far, 323,940 Mongolians have received the booster. The ministry has said that at least 50 per cent of the population should receive the booster.