Active Covid cases in India cross 3,000, Kerala leads the surge
The number of active cases has risen sharply from 257 on May 22 to 3,395 as of May 31. In the last 24 hours alone, 685 new cases were recorded, and four deaths were reported, one each in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
Health officials maintain there is no reason for alarm. 'The severity of infections is low, with most patients under home care,' an official source told news agency PTI.
Dr Rajiv Behl, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said on Monday that genome sequencing from affected regions in the west and south of India confirmed that the variants driving the latest increase are all Omicron subvariants — LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1.
'We should monitor and be vigilant, but there is no cause to worry,' he said.
The rise in active cases is most pronounced in Kerala (1,336), followed by Maharashtra (467), Delhi (375), Gujarat (265), Karnataka (234), West Bengal (205), Tamil Nadu (185) and Uttar Pradesh (117).
Delhi reported the death of a 60-year-old woman who had acute intestinal obstruction, while Karnataka reported a 63-year-old cancer patient who had co-morbidities including tuberculosis.
Odisha health secretary Aswathy S urged residents not to panic, assuring that all seven patients in the state are stable and the situation remains under control. 'The latest ICMR report says that the present variant does not exhibit severe symptoms, and most cases are mild,' she said.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta has reiterated that the city's hospitals are well-prepared. 'Nineteen patients are hospitalised in Delhi, but there is no need to worry.
The government is alert,' she said. An earlier advisory instructed hospitals to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, and vaccines.
Karnataka issues precautionary guidelines
As active cases continue to rise in Karnataka, the state's health and family welfare department has issued a detailed advisory aimed at preventing further spread.
Healthcare workers have been directed to report all Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) cases, especially those with co-morbidities.
A portion of these cases will undergo RT-PCR testing, and symptomatic individuals among vulnerable groups — including children, the elderly, and pregnant women, must be tested.
The advisory also mandates the tracking of positivity rates and CT values, genome sequencing of severe cases, and sewage surveillance where applicable.
With schools set to reopen in June, a separate circular instructed schools to send symptomatic children home and ensure that teachers and staff do not work while ill. 'Avoid crowded or poorly ventilated areas, especially for immunocompromised individuals,' the circular said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
2,426 cr Covid fight bill hit state economy hard: Report
1 2 3 Visakhapatnam: The Covid-19 pandemic not only triggered a public health emergency but also imposed significant financial pressure on the Andhra Pradesh exchequer. Between 2019–20 and 2022–23, the state incurred an expenditure of 4,606 crore on various Covid-19 prevention and management measures, according to the CAG report. Andhra Pradesh was among the hardest-hit states, recording over 23 lakh cases—ranking fifth in the country in terms of case load. In response to the emerging crisis, the state ramped up healthcare infrastructure beginning February 2020. Key initiatives included setting up diagnostic labs, expanding testing capacity, procuring medicines and vaccines, strengthening oxygen supply networks, and mobilizing critical medical resources. Although public health is a state responsibility, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provided both technical and financial aid to assist states in managing the pandemic. The Centre introduced the Emergency Covid Response Package (ECRP) to curb transmission and mitigate impact. Under ECRP-I, funds released to Andhra Pradesh in FY 2020–21 were fully borne by the Centre. In 2021–22, the funding was shared between Centre and state in a 60:40 ratio. According to the CAG report, during the four-year period, Andhra Pradesh received a total allocation of 4,961.36 crore (both Central and state share) and spent 4,606 crore. Of this, the state govt on its part spent 2,426.47 crore. GoI's share amounted to 1,876.44 crore, of which 1,612.45 crore was utilised. From the state disaster response fund, 140.95 crore was used out of the allocated 187.87 crore. Meanwhile, 426.13 crore was spent from the district mineral fund, against an allocation of 534.41 crore. At the onset of the pandemic in Feb 2020, Andhra Pradesh had no Covid-19 testing infrastructure. The state responded swiftly by establishing 135 testing laboratories. Until these labs became operational, test samples had to be sent to other states for processing. During the second wave, the state expanded the number of Covid-19 treatment hospitals from 260 in the first wave to over 640. It also ramped up human resources, recruiting 17,300 doctors and support staff during the first wave, and an additional 18,000 medical personnel during the second wave. Notably, Andhra Pradesh became one of the few states in India to achieve 100% double-dose vaccination coverage among eligible population groups. In a major welfare initiative, Andhra Pradesh became the first state in the country to include Covid-19 treatment under its flagship Arogyasri health scheme (now renamed as NTR Vaidya Seva). This decision enabled over 1 lakh patients to receive free inpatient treatment at private hospitals across the state.
United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
PM Modi, Maldivian President inaugurate MoD building in Male; India delivers two advanced portable hospital units
Male/New Delhi, July 25 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu today jointly inaugurated the state-of-the-art Ministry of Defence (MoD) building of Maldives in Male. Overlooking the Indian Ocean, the eleven-storey building is a symbol of the strong and long-standing defence and security cooperation between the two countries, a statement said. The MoD building has been constructed with India's financial assistance and will contribute towards enhancing the capabilities of the defence and law enforcement authorities of Maldives. Following the inauguration of the Dhoshimeynaa Building, the two leaders viewed a model of the building, and learned about its functions and services. Construction of the building began on 19 February, 2014. The facility will primarily house the Coast Guard division of the Defence Ministry. India has also formally delivered two advanced portable hospital units to the Maldives, marking a significant enhancement of the island nation's emergency medical response capacity and reaffirming New Delhi's commitment to regional health cooperation. Referred to as 'Arogya Maitri Health Cubes', the modular platforms are regarded as the world's first fully transportable hospitals. Each unit includes an intensive care unit (ICU), operation theatre, blood diagnostic equipment, X-ray machine, and power generator, configured to provide critical care for up to 200 individuals over a 72-hour period. Engineered for maximum mobility, the systems can be deployed by helicopter to remote areas and achieve full operational readiness in just 12 minutes. Supplementary kits and medicines allow customisation for varied scenarios, supporting a range of emergency situations. Enhancing this capability is the BHISHM app, a digital tool designed to facilitate configuration and monitor equipment inventories. The Maldives Emergency Medical Service, operating under the Ministry of Health, will oversee the integration of the new facilities into Maldives' emergency response framework. India's assistance to the Maldivian health sector has long reflected a sustained and multifaceted approach. Support has extended to the training of medical personnel, development of urban and atoll-based health infrastructure, and provision of emergency resources, including the expedited supply of Covid-19 vaccines during the pandemic. UNI RN
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Suicides on campus: Supreme Court issues 15 guidelines, calls for mental health policy
Outlining the rise in suicides and mental health issues among students in educational institutions, the Supreme Court on Friday issued pan-India guidelines to combat the problem. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said there remained a 'legislative and regulatory vacuum' in the country with respect to a unified, enforceable framework for suicide prevention of students in educational institutions, coaching centres, and student-centric environments. While issuing 15 guidelines, the bench said the measures should remain in force and binding, until such time as appropriate legislation or regulatory frameworks were enacted by the competent authority. All educational institutions were directed to adopt and implement a uniform mental health policy, drawing cues from the 'Ummeed' draft guidelines, the 'Manodarpan' initiative, and the National Suicide Prevention Strategy. 'This policy shall be reviewed and updated annually and made publicly accessible on institutional websites and notice boards of the institutes,' the bench said. The top court highlighted Centre's preventive steps to mitigate the situation, with 'Ummeed' (understand, motivate, manage, empathise, empower, and develop) draft guidelines — meant to prevent school student suicides — released by the Ministry of Education in 2023. For a broader reach, the court said, the Ministry of Education launched 'Manodarpan', mental health and well-being of students during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. The verdict came on an appeal against an order of the Andhra Pradesh HC, rejecting the plea to transfer the probe over the unnatural death of a 17-year-old National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test aspirant, preparing in Vishakhapatnam, to the CBI. The bench said all educational institutions with 100 or more enrolled students should either appoint or engage at least one qualified counsellor, psychologist, or social worker with demonstrable training in child and adolescent mental health. 'Institutions with fewer students shall establish formal referral linkages with external mental health professionals,' the verdict said. The bench continued, 'All residential-based institutions shall install tamper-proof ceiling fans or equivalent safety devices, and shall restrict access to rooftops, balconies, and other high-risk areas, in order to deter impulsive acts of self-harm.' All educational institutions, particularly coaching institutes or centres, were asked to refrain from segregating students' batches on the basis of academic performance, public shaming, or assignment of academic targets disproportionate to their capacities. 'All educational institutions shall establish robust, confidential, and accessible mechanisms for the reporting, redressal, and prevention of incidents involving sexual assault, harassment, ragging, and bullying on the basis of caste, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or ethnicity,' the order said. The bench stressed on the need for zero tolerance when it came to retaliatory actions against complainants or whistle-blowers. In all such cases, immediate referral to trained mental health professionals must be ensured, and the student's safety, physical and psychological, should be prioritised, it said. 'Failure to take timely or adequate action in such cases… shall be treated as institutional culpability, making the administration liable to regulatory and legal consequences,' the bench added. The guidelines would apply to all educational institutions, including public and private schools, colleges, universities, training centres, coaching institutes, residential academies and hostels, irrespective of their affiliation. The top court in a separate case took cognisance of suicides in educational institutions and directed the constitution of a National Task Force on mental health concerns of students and prevention of suicides in higher educational institutions.
