India’s Covid-19 cases cross 5,000-mark, Kerala, Delhi, Bengal most affected
NEW DELHI, JUN 7 : India is seeing a fresh uptick in Covid-19 cases, with active infections reaching 5,364 on Friday, according to data released by the Union Health Ministry at 8 AM. In the last 24 hours, the country reported 764 new cases and four deaths, two in Kerala and one each in Punjab and Karnataka.
Kerala remains the most affected state, reporting 192 new cases in a day, followed by Gujarat (107), West Bengal (58) and Delhi (30), contributing to a nationwide rise of 498 new infections. In view of the rising cases, the Centre conducted mock drills to check hospital preparedness.
Maharashtra reported 114 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total to 1,276 cases since January, along with one more death, raising the toll to 18. Pune (44 cases) and Mumbai (37 cases) reported the highest numbers, followed by Mira Bhayandar and Panvel with seven cases each.
In the last 24 hours, West Bengal reported 58 new Covid-19 cases and 91 recoveries. The total active cases now stand at 596, with the death toll remaining at one.
Delhi reported 30 new Covid-19 cases, raising active infections to 592, with no new deaths since Thursday, keeping the total fatalities at seven since January 1.
Chhattisgarh has reported 50 Covid-19 cases following recent screenings conducted in response to a rise in infections in other parts of the country, officials said on Friday. Additionally, 1,183 people were tested after the detection of a new variant, and 50 tested positive for the virus.
Haryana reported 31 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, with Gurugram (9) and Faridabad (11) accounting for the majority. Other cases were reported from Karnal, Jhajjar, Panipat, Yamunanagar, Hisar and Panchkula. The state currently has 87 active cases and a total of 151 cumulative cases.
Officials state that most cases are mild and managed at home. Scientists add that while Covid-19 is becoming milder, occasional surges may happen since the virus is now endemic and constantly evolving. They added that there is no cause for alarm.
On June 5, hospitals across the country conducted a mock drill to assess their preparedness for handling Covid-19 cases. The central government has directed all states to ensure adequate availability of oxygen, ventilators, isolation beds and essential medicines to manage a possible Covid-19 surge.
On June 2 and 3, a series of technical review meetings chaired by Dr. Sunita Sharma, DGHS, were held with key health and disaster management agencies and state representatives. The purpose was to assess the current Covid-19 situation and review preparedness measures.
Authorities are closely monitoring Influenza Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI). Testing is conducted for all admitted SARI cases and for 5 percent of ILI cases according to guidelines. Positive SARI samples are sent for Whole Genome Sequencing through the ICMR VRDL network.
The World Health Organisation officially ended Covid-19’s status as a public health emergency in May 2023. Health experts now describe the disease as seasonal, endemic, persistent, or limited to specific regions.
-PTI
