Nearly 4,000 Active Covid Cases In India, Kerala, Maharashtra Lead Surge

India's active COVID-19 cases have climbed to 3,961 as per the Health Ministry's Covid-19 dashboard. According to official data, 203 new cases were added to the active case count since Sunday.

Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Kerala each reported one COVID-19 death since Sunday.

With health authorities closely tracking a gradual surge across key states, Kerala leads the active case numbers at 1,435 cases. Maharashtra follows with 506 cases, the second highest in the country, and has reported three COVID-related deaths, including a 67-year-old man with severe pneumonia and a 21-year-old with diabetic ketoacidosis.

The national capital has recorded 483 active cases and two deaths, that of a 60-year-old woman undergoing post-laparotomy care for intestinal obstruction, and a 22-year-old woman with pre-existing post-tuberculosis lung disease. 

Gujarat and West Bengal report 338 and 331 cases respectively, while Karnataka has 253 Covid-19 positive cases and Tamil Nadu reports 189 cases with two deaths involving comorbid patients.

In the north, Uttar Pradesh reports 157 active cases, Punjab six, including a death involving a 39-year-old man with Hepatitis B and respiratory failure. Rajasthan stands at 69 cases, Puducherry at 38, and Haryana at 28.

Hospitals are stepping up preparedness. At Dr. RML Hospital in Delhi, Dr Pawan Kumar, head of the COVID-19 unit, said, "We are fully prepared with a 9-bed isolation ward. Four Covid-19 positive patients were being treated at the hospital. They have been discharged yesterday after recovery. At present, we have no active COVID cases."

He added, "We've dealt with this before. We have an oxygen regeneration plant and scalable isolation capacity. Most cases are mild, there's no need to panic. But if symptoms arise, people should consult a doctor and get tested."

On Friday, Union Minister of State for Health, and AYUSH (Independent Charge), Prataprao Jadhav, assured that the Centre is fully prepared to handle any situation that may arise.

"Both our Central Health Department and the AYUSH Ministry are fully alert and closely monitoring the situation across all states. We have spoken with the respective Health and AYUSH Secretaries, as well as other concerned ministers," said Mr Jadhav.

He added that the infrastructure developed during the earlier COVID-19 waves has been reviewed and that preparations are underway to deal with any eventuality.

"We've reviewed the infrastructure built during the earlier Covid waves, such as oxygen plants and ICU beds, and have already begun preparations. Our health systems are well-equipped and ready to handle any situation that may arise in response to Covid," he had said.

While the overall case load remains manageable, the health ministry continues to monitor the situation, urging the public to remain cautious but not alarmed.