According to the data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Monday, India is seeing a significant rise in active COVID-19 cases, with the total number crossing the 1,000 mark.
As of Monday, May 26, the country has 1,009 active cases, a sharp increase from 257 active cases on Monday, May 19. Although most of the current cases are reported to be mild and do not require hospital admission, health officials across several states are on alert.
States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka are currently seeing the most COVID-19 cases, according to the Union Health Ministry. Kerala has reported the highest rise in active cases in the past week, followed by Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
As of May 26, according to the health ministry, the largest increase in active cases was seen in Kerala (335 cases), Maharashtra (153 cases), Delhi (99 cases), Gujarat (76 cases), Karnataka (34 cases). These figures reflect a notable rise compared to the previous week. Between May 12 and May 19, Kerala reported only 69 new active cases, Maharashtra 44, Karnataka 8, Gujarat 6, and Delhi just 3.
States like Bihar and Jharkhand, which had previously reported no cases in the current wave, have now confirmed their first infections. A 31-year-old man from Patna, with no recent travel history, was tested positive and is being treated at a private hospital, according to a report by PTI.
A person, who had recently returned from Mumbai tested positive in Jharkhand's Ranchi, marking the state’s first case in this wave, the news agency's report added.
In Karnataka, health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the government is monitoring the situation and has asked officials to increase testing, especially in high-risk groups. "We have asked our department officials to conduct tests. RT-PCR testing kits will most probably reach our centres by tomorrow or the day after," Rao said.
“So, wherever necessary, we have asked for tests to be conducted, especially with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases and Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases among aged people and children. This is compulsory at private and government hospitals,” he added.
Rao also noted that the central government is monitoring the situation but has not issued any specific new restrictions, only guidelines on testing and precautions for high-risk individuals.
According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), new COVID-19 variants have been detected in the country. These include:
In the new COVID wave, one case of variant NB.1.8.1 and four cases of variant LF.7 have been reported so far. These variants are under observation by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Variants Under Monitoring (VUMs). They are not classified as dangerous variants yet, but have been linked to rising case numbers in China and parts of Asia.
In India, however, the most common COVID variant remains JN.1, making up 53% of all cases tested. It is followed by BA.2 (26%) and other Omicron-related strains (20%).