Healthcare and front-line workers along with people above age 60 with health problems lined up Monday at vaccination centers across India to receive the third dose as infections linked to the omicron variant surge through the country.

The doses, which India is calling a “precautionary” shot instead of a booster, were given as new confirmed coronavirus infections rocketed to over 179,000 on Monday, nearly an eightfold increase in a week.

Hospitalisations, while still relatively low, are also beginning to rise in large, crowded cities such as New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.