India logs new Covid spike as cases rise in Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad

NEW DELHI: Health authorities are closely monitoring a rise in Covid-19 cases across multiple states, amid a resurgence of infections in parts of Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore.

While overall case numbers remain low compared to previous waves, cities such as Mumbai, Chennai and Ahmedabad have reported small but notable surge in infections.

Maharashtra sees cluster in Mumbai

Mumbai has reported 95 new Covid-19 cases in May — a significant increase compared to the state’s total of 106 since January, according to the Maharashtra health department.



At least 16 people are currently hospitalised, with most being shifted from KEM Hospital to Seven Hills Hospital to curb potential transmission.

Authorities are testing all patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) for Covid-19.

Pune on alert despite no active cases

In Pune, municipal officials have reserved 50 beds at Naidu Hospital as a precautionary measure. The city currently has no active Covid-19 patients in public hospitals.

“We had only one patient in May — an 87-year-old from Manjari — who has since fully recovered,” said Dr Nina Borade, health chief at Pune Municipal Corporation. She added that tests are currently not being conducted in civic hospitals and said the city is awaiting updated central guidelines.

Rising cases in Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, 12 new Covid-19 cases have been reported in Puducherry. In Chennai, doctors are reporting a shift: fevers previously attributed to influenza are now increasingly being linked to Covid-19.

Surgeons in some hospitals have delayed critical procedures, including organ transplants and heart surgeries, due to the risk of infection.

“We are seeing a rising share of Covid-19 among viral cases,” said Dr Subramaniam Swaminathan, an infectious diseases expert at Gleneagles Healthcity. “Two weeks ago, 60% of our positive samples were influenza A or B. Now, it’s Covid-19.”

Public health director Dr T S Selvavinayagam said there is no need for panic but urged caution in crowded spaces. “Covid-19 never truly disappeared — it has been circulating at low levels with seasonal peaks,” he said.

Karnataka and Gujarat report new cases

Karnataka has confirmed 16 active Covid-19 cases, according to state health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

In Gujarat, seven new cases were detected in Ahmedabad on a single day — an unusual spike in a city that has averaged just one case per month over the past year.

All seven patients are in home isolation, and authorities have sent their samples for genomic testing.

Gujarat has 15 active Covid-19 cases, all of the milder Omicron JN.1 variant, state health officials said on Thursday.

Thirteen cases are in Ahmedabad city and one each in Ahmedabad rural and Rajkot. All patients are in home isolation, with no hospitalisations needed. Officials urged the public not to panic.

'Virus remains endemic'
Although the World Health Organization declared the pandemic over in May 2023, Covid-19 continues to circulate globally. In India, most cases remain mild, and no deaths or ICU admissions have been linked to the latest uptick.

Health experts have advised the public — particularly the elderly, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions to resume basic precautions such as mask-wearing in enclosed spaces and frequent handwashing.

Doctors also recommend influenza vaccination to reduce risk and severity of co-infections.