Covid-19: Cases surge in Delhi, Mumbai, other cities, new variant reported; Bengaluru infant tests positive — 10 points

India is recording a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases over the past weeks, with the Health Ministry’s Covid dashboard showing 257 active cases across the country as of May 19, data on Saturday showed. States including Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi have reported surging number of Covid-19 cases, including those of an emerging variant named NB.1.8.1.

Here are 10 key things you need to know about the recent Covid-19 surge in India:

1. As per INSACOG data, India has recorded one case of the newly emerging Covid-19 variant NB.1.8.1 and four instances of the LF.7 type. As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 subvariants as Variants Under Monitoring, not as Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest. But these are the variants that are reportedly driving the rise in Covid cases in China and parts of Asia.

2. In Noida, a 55-year-old woman has been placed under quarantine after she tested positive for Covid-19, authorities said on Saturday. Officials said that samples of her family members have also been sent for testing. “The administration is geared up to deal with the situation. We urge people not to panic and follow the safety protocols, including wearing face masks and hand sanitisation,” chief medical officer of Gautam Budh Nagar district Narendra Kumar, was quoted as saying by PTI.

3. The most common variant remains JN.1, with 53 per cent of psoitive cases belonging to the category. One case of NB.1.8.1 was identified in April in Tamil Nadu and four cases of LF.7 were detected in Gujarat in May, INSACOG data shows.

4. As many as 10 cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Maharashtra’s Thane city over the last three days, with the civic administration urging hospitals to stay vigilant, officials said on Saturday. The authorities said that the patients are experiencing mild syndrome but have not been hospitalised.

5. The Thane civic body has urged people not to panic and follow precautionary measures. It held a high-level review meeting on Friday to assess the situation and readiness of the health system.

6. Meanwhile, the national capital of Delhi has recorded 23 cases of Covid-19 till Thursday, May 22, Health Minister Pankaj Singh said.

7. The detection of Covid-19 cases in Delhi has prompted the Delhi government to issue an advisory asking all hospitals to prepare for the availability of beds, oxygen, medicines and vaccines. The government is verifying the details of whether patients are residents of Delhi or have a travel history outside the city.

8. A nine-month-old baby boy has tested positive for Covid-19 in Bengaluru, health department officials said on Friday. They further noted that the cases have been rising gradually over the past 20 days. Harsh Gupta, principal secretary of the Health & Family Welfare department, said the baby tested positive via a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on May 22, adding that the condition is stable now.

9. Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday urged all districts in the southern state to increase Covid-19 surveillance, following an increase in cases across Southeast Asia.

10. In May, Kerala reported 273 Covid-19 cases, the minister said. The highest number was in Kottayam with 82 cases, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 73, Ernakulam with 49, Pathanamthitta with 30, and Thrissur with 26.

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