India is witnessing a fresh increase in Covid-19 cases, with active infections climbing to 5, 758, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s update as of 8 am on Saturday.
A total 391 new cases and four deaths were registered in the past 24 hours. One fatality each was from Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra, as per the ministry’s Covid dashboard.
While overall hospitalisations remain low, health authorities are closely monitoring the evolving situation, especially with the emergence of new subvariants.
Kerala is currently leading the spike, having reported 127 new infections, pushing its active caseload to 1,806 — nearly half of the country’s total active cases. Other states contributing to the recent surge include West Bengal, which recorded 26 new cases (active cases now at 622), and Delhi, which added 73 infections (active tally at 655). Maharashtra, which experienced major outbreaks in previous waves, reported 29 new cases, bringing its cumulative case count to 577, as per the Central government data.
According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) May 2025 classification, two new subvariants — LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 — have been labeled as Variants Under Monitoring. These variants are not yet considered Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest, but they are suspected to be contributing to rising infection numbers not only in India but also in China and other parts of Asia.
Meanwhile, the JN.1 strain remains the most dominant variant in the country, accounting for 53% of all positive cases, based on genomic data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).
Although there is currently no significant increase in hospital admissions, health experts warn that public complacency could reverse recent progress. The virus continues to evolve, with symptoms such as fatigue, sore throat, and gastrointestinal discomfort becoming more common with newer strains.
The Ministry of Health urges the public to continue following basic preventive measures, including regular hand hygiene, wearing masks in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, and getting tested at the first sign of symptoms. Those who test positive are strongly advised to isolate immediately to prevent further spread.(UNI)
