‘Monitoring situation closely’: Top government officials meet after Covid uptick

NEW DELHI: Union health secretary chaired a review meeting on Saturday following a recent uptick in Covid cases, news agency PTI reported citing sources.

The meeting was attended by officials from the department of health research, the director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the director general of the National Centre for Disease Control, among others.

“Union health ministry remains vigilant and, through its multiple agencies, is proactively monitoring the situation closely,” sources said.

They added, “It may be noted that there is a robust pan-India surveillance system for respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR’s pan-India respiratory virus sentinel surveillance network. Most of these cases are mild and under home care.”

This comes a day after the Delhi government issued a Covid advisory, asking hospitals to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, medicines, and vaccines. Health institutions have also been directed to send all positive samples for genome sequencing to Lok Nayak Hospital.

Although the World Health Organization declared the pandemic over in May 2023, Covid continues to circulate globally. In India, the majority of cases remain mild, with no deaths or ICU admissions linked to the latest rise in infections.

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

Doctors also recommend influenza vaccination to reduce the risk and severity of co-infections. Indian health authorities are closely monitoring a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases across several states, as regions in Asia—including Hong Kong and Singapore—report a resurgence of infections.

Although nationwide case numbers remain low compared to earlier waves, cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, and Ahmedabad have reported a noticeable rise. In Mumbai alone, 95 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in May—nearly matching the state’s total of 106 cases since January, according to the Maharashtra health department.