COVID-19 In India Updates: Hospitals In Delhi On Alert Amid Uptick In Fresh Cases

Amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases across the nation, the hospitals in Delhi are vigilant, NDTV reported. They have been asked by the government to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, medicines, and vaccines. The measures are being taken as an act of precaution, even as experts have noted that the infections being caused by the new Covid-19 variants are mostly mild.

Maharashtra has reported four Covid-19 related deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in the state to four, while also registering 47 new positive cases, according to NDTV.

This development comes as the state currently manages 166 active Covid-19 patients. The Union Health Secretary reviewed the national Covid-19 situation today, noting that most reported cases across India are mild and under home care.

Of the newly reported cases, Mumbai accounts for the highest share with 30, followed by Pune with seven, Thane with six, Navi Mumbai with three, and Nagpur with one. Since January, Maharashtra has recorded 257 positive cases, with Mumbai alone contributing 213 of these infections. All currently diagnosed cases in the state are reported to be mild, and 87 patients have recovered to date.

The four reported deaths involve patients with co-morbidities, or individuals with underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus. A 21-year-old Covid-19 patient in Thane succumbed to comorbidities after testing positive. Another case involved a 70-year-old man with heart disease who passed away in a private hospital, with his positive report confirmed posthumously. In Mumbai, two deaths were reported on Sunday, a 14-year-old girl with kidney disease and a 59-year-old woman with cancer at civic-run KEM Hospital, Parel.

Official sources emphasize that a pan-India surveillance system for respiratory illnesses, including Covid-19, is in place through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR's network. The Union Health Ministry remains vigilant and is proactively monitoring the situation, noting that there is no indication that currently circulating variants are more transmissible or cause more severe disease compared to previously circulating strains.