COVID clock ticking: India on ‘alert’ amid single-day spike of 628 infections

Even as India recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases with the active caseload having jumped to 4,054, and with sub-variant JN.1 on the radar, the Delhi government planned to step up genome surveillance to tackle the issue going forward.

As the new threat looms on the horizon with an uptick in COVID cases towards the end of 2023 amid the festive season, doctors in Delhi have advised people to wear masks, avoid gatherings and maintain a healthy diet.

The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic driven by the Omicron variant had resulted in a record surge of infections in Delhi in early 2022, while the second wave driven by the Delta variant had wreaked havoc in the national capital, as in other parts of the country, in 2021.

The fresh threat, as there was one in early 2023, has only proven many experts right that "COVID is not out of the world yet".

Both the Centre and the Delhi government are alert and have planned a way forward to tackle any situation.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on December 20 said that oxygen cylinders, ventilator beds and other requirements were being “reviewed again”. He also said the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 is infectious but "mild", and asserted that the city government was "totally alert" to tackle the issue.

Masks back in Delhi

Delhi health department officials said the city government will ramp up genome surveillance. As authorities lifted the mask mandate in the year gone by given the improved situation, the growing concern over the new variant has brought it back on the faces of many people in Delhi.

As the year comes to an end, Christmas and New Year celebrations will see huge gatherings in public places.

While a majority of the city population seemingly had slowly learned to live without putting on a mask in both closed and public places, the new year will likely see a larger number of people wearing a mask as a precaution.

In crowded metro coaches, several commuters can now be seen wearing a mask or using hand sanitiser to keep infection at bay.

Bharadwaj recently also said that people should not panic. "Be alert by being cautious and you can check the spread of the infection," the minister had said.

Surprise inspections of hospitals

The year gone by also saw a flurry of surprise inspections of multiple city government-run hospitals by the Delhi health minister.

Bharadwaj on December 21 inspected two hospitals and said no "VIP treatment" would be provided to anyone. He conducted surprise inspections at Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and Dr Hedgewar Aarogya Sansthan in east Delhi.

During his inspection at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Bharadwaj said he received "complaints from some patients" alleging that hospital staff, in the name of specific personnel, were "bypassing the queue" in seeking consultation with doctors.

This practice causes inconvenience to those waiting in line.

No VIP treatment to anyone

In response, the health minister had promptly directed the hospital administration that "no VIP treatment would be provided to anyone, in the name of hospital staff".

Bharadwaj on December 14 had conducted a surprise inspection at four city government-run hospitals – Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, Indira Gandhi Hospital, and Sushruta Trauma Centre. At one of the facilities, he reprimanded the administration for negligence in cleanliness and directed strict action against erring officials. He also issued “stern orders for stringent action” against the company responsible for sanitation at the hospital, according to the minister's office.

A day earlier he had inspected four hospitals, including Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, Acharya Bhikshu Hospital, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Hospital, and NC Joshi Hospital.

Bharadwaj had sought a probe against a staffer of the NC Joshi Hospital following allegations that he took bribes for facilitating treatment at the facility.

Corona clock is ticking

Meanwhile, the country recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload jumped to 4,054, according to Union Health Ministry data. There is one new death reported from Kerala in the previous 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

According to the Union ministry, there have been a total 5,33,334 (5.33 lakh), with the country's Covid case tally hovering at 4,50,09,248 (4.50 crore).

With a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, the case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent.

Surge in COVID cases in Kerala

Kerala reported 128 fresh COVID-19 cases and one death due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry website.

Of the 315 active coronavirus infections reported nationwide till 8 am on Monday (December 25), 128 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 3,128, as per the website.

With one death reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,064. The number of people who were cured, discharged, or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 247. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,38,529.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George last week reassured the people of the state that despite the rise in COVID cases in Kerala, there is no cause for alarm. The hospitals are adequately equipped to manage viral infections, she said.

Maharashtra minister tests positive

Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde has tested positive for coronavirus, state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Monday (December 25). However, he said there is no need to panic about the viral infection.

"One of my cabinet colleagues, Dhananjay Munde, has tested positive for COVID-19. However, the administration is taking care in the state and necessary instructions to check its spread have been given to officials,” he said.

Munde's office also confirmed that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The variant details were not revealed.

Maharashtra on Sunday (December 24) reported 50 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections since the beginning of the spread of novel coronavirus to 81,72,135, nearly three years ago, a bulletin by the health department said.

Of the fresh cases, nine were caused by JN.1, increasing the number of infections tied to the new sub-variant in the state to 10, it said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified the new JN.1 strain as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly increasing spread but said that it poses a “low” global public health risk.