Govt holds review meetings to monitor Covid-19 situation in India

Govt says Covid-19 situation remains under control despite a minor uptick in cases, amid rising infections in Singapore and Hong Kong attributed to Omicron subvariants

Indian health authorities held review meetings chaired by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) to assess the Covid-19 situation in the country, official sources in the health ministry said on Sunday.

 

The meeting included experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division, Disaster Management Cell, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and central government hospitals.

 

According to the sources, the meeting concluded that the current Covid-19 situation in India remains under control, with 257 active cases as of 19 May. While this is the highest number recorded in the past year, it remains a low figure relative to India’s population.

 

 

Preliminary assessments indicate that the recent cases are mostly mild, with no unusual severity or mortality reported. No hospitalisations have been required. 

 

A senior official in the health ministry said authorities remain vigilant and proactive in monitoring the situation to ensure that appropriate public health measures are in place.

 

“A robust system for the surveillance of respiratory viral illnesses, including Covid-19, exists through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR,” the official added.

 

The review comes amid a noticeable uptick in Covid-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong over recent weeks. According to reports, Singapore recorded a 28 per cent rise in estimated Covid cases last week, with infections reaching 14,200 during the first week of May.

 

Similarly, Hong Kong reported a rise in respiratory samples testing positive for Covid-19—from 6.21 per cent four weeks ago to 13.66 per cent in the week ending 10 May.

 

Experts believe the Sars-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in Singapore are LF.7 and NB.1.8—both descendants of the JN.1 variant of Omicron.