New Delhi: As Southeast Asia grapples with a surge in COVID-19 cases, India is witnessing a slight uptick in infections, prompting health authorities to enhance monitoring and preparedness, though the situation remains firmly under control.
Health officials report 257 active cases across the country, all classified as mild, with no hospitalisations required. There is currently no evidence of the newer Omicron subvariants—such as JN.1, LF.7, and NB.1.8—circulating in India, despite their role in rising infections in countries like Singapore, China, and Thailand.
States including Kerala, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu have logged fresh cases in recent days, with Kerala reporting 69, Maharashtra 44, and Tamil Nadu 34. Maharashtra has 56 active cases at present.
Two recent COVID-positive deaths—a 14-year-old girl and a 54-year-old woman—in Mumbai’s KEM Hospital were clarified by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to be unrelated to the virus. Both had serious pre-existing health conditions, including nephrotic syndrome and cancer.
On May 19, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) convened a high-level meeting with officials from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and other key agencies to assess the national outlook.
“India’s COVID-19 situation is stable, with all current cases mild and manageable,” a senior health official told PTI following the review.
Despite the reassuring figures, the Union Health Ministry has advised hospitals to remain alert for influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), maintaining reliance on surveillance tools like the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR’s tracking networks.
Globally, Singapore has seen cases rise to over 14,000 in early May, up from 11,100 in late April, amid the spread of new Omicron offshoots. Indian experts, however, believe the virus has entered a cyclical phase, with minor waves likely every six to nine months—expected to be milder due to widespread immunity from vaccines and past infections.
