With Delhi crossing the 100-mark in daily Covid-19 infections, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday assured the public that the government is closely monitoring the situation and has issued guidelines to all hospitals.
Urging people not to panic, CM Gupta said, “Guidelines have been issued to all hospitals, and the government is closely monitoring the situation.”
She further added that all state-run hospitals are equipped with the necessary facilities to manage the rise in cases.
According to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Delhi has reported 104 active Covid-19 cases.
“We have analysed the scenario, and there is no cause for panic,” Gupta reiterated.
Last week, the Delhi government issued a Covid-19 advisory, directing hospitals to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen, essential medicines, and vaccines.
All health institutions have also been instructed to send positive Covid-19 samples for genome sequencing to Lok Nayak Hospital.
“The hospitals must ensure preparedness in terms of the availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, other drugs, and vaccines. All equipment such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and PSA plants must be in functional condition,” the advisory stated.
Health Minister Pankaj Singh said that the government is also verifying case details to determine whether the patients are Delhi residents or have a recent travel history.
Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry reported 1,009 Covid-19 cases nationwide, with Kerala (430) and Maharashtra (209) recording the highest numbers. Seven deaths were also reported—four in Maharashtra, two in Kerala, and one in Karnataka.
According to the latest data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), the recent spike in cases is being driven by NB.1.8.1 and LF.7—sub-lineages of the JN.1 Covid variant.
INSACOG, a network of 64 laboratories under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, identified one case of NB.1.8.1 in Tamil Nadu in April and four cases of LF.7 in Gujarat in May.
Both NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 are currently classified as Variants Under Monitoring (VUM) by the World Health Organization (WHO). A VUM indicates a SARS-CoV-2 variant that may require prioritized attention and further observation by public health authorities.
—IANS
