Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research Dr. Rajiv Bahl said that the government is monitoring the COVID situation through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP), which tracks COVID cases nationwide.
Talking to the media, Dr. Bahl said that there is no cause for panic as of now due to the rising cases of COVID. He said, the severity of these cases remains low.
He suggested the people remain vigilant. Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh has said that there is no reason to be afraid of Corona, as the variant is slowly developing like a virus. He added that patients who have come in now show symptoms of a normal cold-cough.
“The hospitals must ensure preparedness in terms of the availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, other drugs, and vaccines. All equipment such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and PSA plants must be in functional condition,” the advisory stated.
Health Minister Pankaj Singh said that the government is also verifying case details to determine whether the patients are Delhi residents or have a recent travel history.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry reported 1,009 Covid-19 cases nationwide, with Kerala (430) and Maharashtra (209) recording the highest numbers. Seven deaths were also reported—four in Maharashtra, two in Kerala, and one in Karnataka.
According to the latest data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), the recent spike in cases is being driven by NB.1.8.1 and LF.7—sub-lineages of the JN.1 Covid variant.