COVID-19 cases in India continued to rise on Monday with several states reporting fresh infections. Karnataka added 37 new patients to its tally — with the majority of cases in Bengaluru — while several other areas reported a slight uptick in cases. A man undergoing tuberculosis treatment in Rajasthan also passed away after testing COVID-19 positive over the weekend. Health officials however insist that there is no cause for panic at this time as the circulating variants have mild symptoms with no severity.
According to data released by the Health Ministry on Monday morning, the active case tally in India has now crossed the 1000 mark. Kerala leads the list with more than 430 patients while another 105 have been discharged since May 19. Other states with notable case counts include Maharashtra (209), Delhi (104), Gujarat (83), and Karnataka (47). The COVID-19 tracker available on the Health Ministry website it updated every morning.
Several states have already reported an uptick in cases during the day — with Karnataka adding another 37 infections to its tally. Two new cases were reported each from Gurugram in Haryana and Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Meanwhile Rajasthan reported eight fresh cases of COVID-19 on Monday — with four in Jodhpur, three in Jaipur and one in Udaipur. Officials in Bihar confirmed that two people — including an AIIMS Patna doctor — had also tested positive for COVID-19 in the state.
At least seven people have died after contracting the infection over the past one week — with the Health Ministry indicating three deaths from Maharashtra, two from Kerala and another from Karnataka. Official data however indicates that the Centre is still waiting for additional information about these casualties. A man from Jaipur in Rajasthan also passed away on Monday while undergoing TB treatment — after testing positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.
The Indian Council of Medical Research has stated that while COVID-19 cases are being reported again in parts of the country, the current variants in circulation are showing mild symptoms similar to the Omicron strain. Health officials however cautioned against panicking but urged individuals with “cancer or other immunocompromised” conditions to take caution.
“Surveillance is underway to determine the reasons behind the increase in cases, and the government is making necessary preparations. The four variants that we have found are subvariants of Omicron — LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB. 1.8.1. But more samples are being tested for further information.” ICMR DG Dr Rajiv Bahl told ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)