New cases over 4,000, India holds Covid mock drill today for hospital checks

The central government has ordered facility-level mock drills in various hospitals on Thursday to assess the preparedness of healthcare services amid a rising cases of Covid-19. Active Covid cases have crossed the 4,000-mark, as per data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

On Wednesday, India recorded 276 new Covid cases, with seven deaths in the past 24 hours. The highest toll was recorded in Maharashtra at four and one fatality each in Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat. The total number of deaths now stands at 44.

All states have been instructed to ensure availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators and essential medicines in view of rising cases of Covid.

A series of technical review meetings were held on June 2 and 3 under the chairpersonship of Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Sunita Sharma.

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The meeting was held with representatives of Disaster Management Cell, Emergency Management Response (EMR) Cell, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and central government hospitals in Delhi and with representatives from all states and Union territories to evaluate the current Covid situation and preparedness measures.

The upcoming drill will assess readiness in key areas, including isolation wards, oxygen supply, ventilator availability, and essential medications. Its goal is to ensure hospitals are well-prepared to respond efficiently in the event of another surge in cases.

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Meanwhile, a mock drill assessing oxygen supply systems (PSA plants, LMO tanks, MGPS lines) was conducted on June 2.

What’s triggering new cases?

The subvariant JN.1 is making up 16.3 per cent of sequenced cases in the epidemiological week ending February 2. Authorities in Singapore have reported that two JN.1 descendant lineages — LF.7 and NB.1.8 — now account for over two-thirds of locally sequenced cases. However, they clarified that “there is no indication that the variants circulating locally are more transmissible or cause more severe disease compared to previously circulating variants.”

While the rampant spread of the virus has been kept in check for a long time, SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, has not disappeared entirely. Earlier this month, when a rise in cases was being reported in Singapore, authorities said that periodic waves of Covid-19 can be expected throughout the year.

With inputs from agencies