India sees tenfold rise in COVID-19 cases
NEW DELHI: India has reported a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases over the past 10 days, official data showed on Sunday, with new, more transmissible virus variants believed to be driving the surge.
A new wave of infections emerged in parts of Asia last month, especially Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Thailand.
The new spread of the coronavirus that a few years ago brought the world to a standstill has been linked to JN.1, a highly transmissible variant of the omicron strain of COVID-19. It emerged in late 2023 and spread globally through early 2024, becoming one of the dominant variants in many countries.
India's current caseload is 3,395 as of Sunday, according to Ministry of Health data – up significantly from the previous official count of 257 on May 22.
The ministry confirmed last week it had detected across the country two subvariants of JN.1 – LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 – which spread faster but are believed to be mild.
'(The) majority of those are mild cases, just like seasonal flu, and we are not seeing any significant admission or emergency visits due to COVID-19. Right now, the situation is under control. Any flu that starts spreading spreads fast like wildfire,' Dr. Nikhil Modi, pulmonology and respiratory medicine specialist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, told Arab News.
While in the last 24 hours, four deaths have been recorded – in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh – the 'patients were already suffering from critical illnesses,' Modi said.
'Severe disease is not being reported anywhere significantly.'
India was one of the worst-hit countries during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. At its peak, health authorities recorded over 400,000 new cases per day.
Hospitals across many states were overwhelmed with patients and faced severe shortages of oxygen supplies, hospital beds, ventilators, and critical medicines.
The World Health Organization estimates that 4.7 million deaths in India were directly and indirectly related to COVID-19.
'The way we have seen COVID-19 in 2021, panic is bound to come but things, for the time being, are under control. We are not seeing admissions significantly rising due to COVID, so we should be able to manage. Advisories and preparedness in all hospitals have started, so if the situation changes, we are ready for it,' Modi said.
'Right now, we don't have to panic about it.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
4 hours ago
- Arab News
Islamabad's delegation in New York to advance Pakistan's case following India standoff briefs UNSC
ISLAMABAD: A high-level Pakistani delegation, led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has met representatives of the United Nations Security Council's elected member states and briefed them on last month's conflict between India and Pakistan as well as New Delhi's attempt to block Pakistan's share of Indus waters, Pakistani state media reported on Monday. Tensions between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India remain high since they struck a ceasefire on May 10 following the most intense military confrontation between them in decades. Both countries accuse the other of supporting militancy on each other's soil — a charge both capitals deny. The latest military escalation, in which the two countries traded missile, drones and artillery fire, was sparked after India accused Pakistan of supporting militants who killed over two dozen tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Islamabad denies involvement. In its meeting with representatives of Denmark, Greece, Panama, Japan and other UNSC member states in New York, the Pakistani delegation highlighted that Islamabad's response to Indian missile strikes was 'measured, responsible and in accordance with the UN Charter,' the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. 'It briefed the UNSC elected members that [India's] holding [of] Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance may lead to water shortage, food crisis and environmental disaster in Pakistan,' the report read. 'The delegation called on the members of the Security Council to move beyond conflict management and actively support conflict resolution in South Asia.' India announced suspending the 1960 World Bank-brokered treaty, which ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, a day after the April 22 attack. Islamabad has called for a credible, international probe into the attack and described the Indian move to suspend the treaty as 'act of war.' Bhutto-Zardari told UNSC members that Indian allegations against Pakistan were without any 'credible investigation or verifiable evidence,' and that New Delhi's targeting of innocent civilians and suspension of Indus Waters Treaty was a threat to regional peace, according to the report. The Pakistani delegates underscored Islamabad's commitment to restraint and initiation of a comprehensive dialogue to address outstanding issues with India, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part. 'The elected members of UN Security Council appreciated Pakistan's outreach and welcomed its reaffirmation of commitment to peace and diplomacy,' the report said. 'They noted the significance of de-escalation, respect for international law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes emphasized that the UN Charter must guide state conduct, particularly in regions of high sensitivity such as South Asia. They acknowledged the risks posed by any further escalation and stressed the need to pursue diplomatic solutions.' The Pakistani delegation, led by Bhutto-Zardari, will also visit Washington DC, London and Brussels to present Pakistan's position on the conflict. Another delegation, led by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, will visit Moscow this week. Pakistan's foreign office earlier said the two delegations will 'underscore the imperative for the international community to play its due role in promoting a lasting peace in South Asia.'
Arab News
8 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan to play in Colombo when India hosts women's World Cup
Pakistan will play all their women's 50-over World Cup matches in Sri Lanka's capital Colombo when India hosts this year's tournament, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Monday. Politically-estranged India and Pakistan, who have not played a bilateral series since 2013, will play their matches in neutral venues when either country hosts an ICC event, the sport's global governing body announced in December. 'The venues for the knockouts are dependent on Pakistan qualifying as two alternative venues have been identified for one semifinal and the final,' the ICC said. 'Colombo will be the venue for the first semifinal and the final only if Pakistan qualify for those stages.' Bengaluru, where the tournament will start with India playing in the opening match, will host the final on November 2 if Pakistan are knocked out earlier in the tournament, the ICC added. Bengaluru will also stage the second semifinal on October 30, a day after the first semifinal in Colombo or Guwahati. Visakhapatnam and Indore are the two other host cities for the eight-team tournament. India played all their matches in Dubai when Pakistan hosted the men's Champions Trophy this year, including the final which they won. Both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Pakistan Super League were suspended last month amid clashes between the two countries following an attack targeting tourists that killed 26 people in disputed Kashmir region in April. Matches resumed after a ceasefire was announced. The neutral venue arrangement between the countries will also be in place for the men's T20 World Cup in 2026, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka, and the women's T20 World Cup in 2028 in Pakistan.
Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
How can Saudi Arabia qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
With the final day of the 2024-25 Saudi Pro League and King's Cup final bringing down the curtain on the Kingdom's domestic football last week, attention now turns to international football and Saudi Arabia's hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Green Falcons have endured a tumultuous qualification campaign for the tournament so far but despite many ups and downs, are still in with a good chance of making it to the World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. Saudi Arabia began World Cup qualifying with Roberto Mancini as coach but parted company with the Italian last October. Since then, Herve Renard – mastermind of the team's iconic 2022 victory over Argentina in Qatar – has returned to the hotseat, aiming to take Saudi Arabia back to the FIFA World Cup. Heading into the final two games of the Third Round of qualifying, three potential pathways still exist for the Green Falcons to make it to the finals. Here, Al Arabiya English explores how Saudi Arabia can qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 1) Finish second in Group C Only two teams in Asia have already guaranteed their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup – Iran and runaway Group C winner Japan. But second place in Group C, and the automatic place in the USA, Canada and Mexico that it brings, is still very much up for grabs. There are three teams currently in the hunt and it will be one of Australia, Saudi Arabia or Indonesia that joins Japan at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For more Saudi sports news, visit our dedicated page. Australia is in pole position heading into the final two group games, currently sitting on 13 points – three ahead of Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia a further point back. In the previous two qualifiers back in March, the Green Falcons claimed a vital 1-0 home win against China before securing a creditable 0-0 draw away to Japan in Saitama. The math is now simple for Saudi Arabia: win its next two games, and the Green Falcons can qualify in second place. The first of those matches is on Thursday against neighbor Bahrain, which has punched above its weight so far in qualifying in its pursuit of a first ever World Cup appearance. Bahrain held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture in Jeddah last October and more recently beat the Green Falcons 3-2 last December on its way to winning the 2024 Arabian Gulf Cup. While Saudi Arabia visits Bahrain, Australia will host already qualified Japan. Despite having already booked its spot at the World Cup, the Blue Samurai put a strong team out against Saudi Arabia back in March; Renard and his players will be hoping Japan do the same against the Socceroos – as a draw or loss for Australia will open the door. Should that happen, it is then set up for a blockbuster finish on June 10, when Saudi Arabia hosts Australia at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. While other combinations of results could see Saudi Arabia progress, its best chance is to beat Bahrain, and then also beat the Socceroos on home soil. If Australia is able to beat Japan, this scenario would mean both sides finish on 16 points – but the Socceroos would advance courtesy of a substantially better goal difference. Should there be a double slip up, Indonesia could be waiting in the wings. This is not the first time that qualification is going down to the wire for Saudi Arabia; it beat Australia 1-0 in the final qualification game for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to top its group, while the Green Falcons beat Japan in the last 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier to pip Australia to an automatic spot at the finals in Russia. 2) Finish top of Fourth Round group Should Saudi Arabia miss out on second place to Australia or Indonesia, it is unlikely to be the end of the road. If Renard's side is able to secure one win, or two draws, from its final two matches – it will be guaranteed to advance to another qualification round. This is because the 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first 48-team edition of the tournament, meaning there are more spots on offer than usual for Asian Football Confederation (AFC) teams. The teams finishing third and fourth in each of the three groups in the current round of qualification – which could also include the likes of Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Qatar and UAE – will have another opportunity to reach the World Cup via the Fourth Round. The six teams that make it through from the Third Round will be split into two groups of three, offering those nations another shot at making it to the finals. Should Saudi Arabia reach this stage, it will face a pair of one-off matches against the two other teams in its group, in a round robin format taking place between October 8-14. Those games will be played at an as-yet unannounced centralized location. It remains to be seen whether the qualifiers will need to be hosted at a neutral venue; Saudi Arabia and Qatar have regularly been chosen by the AFC as destinations for such one-off events previously but Asian football's governing body has yet to announce anything. If the Green Falcons could play those matches in the Kingdom, it would be hugely advantageous. For the two group winners of the Fourth Round of qualification, there will be automatic passage to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is the first time that this style of final qualifying round has been used and means that both matches in October will be played with significant jeopardy. 3) Win the inter-confederation play-off The two nations finishing bottom of their Fourth Round group in October will be eliminated but for the second-placed teams there will be another bite of the World Cup cherry. The pair of runners-up will face each other in a two-legged tie, with first leg on November 13 and second leg November 18. This Fifth Round contest is not actually for a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, however, but for a spot in the FIFA inter-confederation play-off tournament next March. Up until the 2022 FIFA World Cup, inter-confederation play-offs were two-legged ties – pitting nations from the AFC, OFC (Oceania), CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) and CONMEBOL (South America) against each other – leaving two countries standing as World Cup qualifiers at the end. But ahead of the 2022 finals in Qatar, FIFA altered the format – with one-off matches played in the World Cup host nation; Costa Rica and Australia qualified after beating New Zealand and Peru respectively in Al Rayyan. This time around, the format for the inter-confederation play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been changed again. Six countries – one from Asia, one from South America, two from Central America, North America and the Caribbean, one from South America and one from Oceania (New Caledonia has already booked its place) – will take part in a tournament. The four-game competition will be hosted by one or more of the United States, Canada or Mexico in March 2026, just three months before the start of the FIFA World Cup. The six competing nations in the inter-confederation play-off will be divided based on FIFA World Ranking. The two best-ranked teams will move directly into respective 'finals,' while the other four will be split into two semi-finals. The winner of each will then advance to the finals, from which the last two places at the 2026 FIFA World Cup can be secured. Saudi Arabia's current world ranking of 58 would likely put it in a strong position to be granted a direct spot in the final. The three pathways to the 2026 FIFA World Cup offer significantly different opportunities and timelines for the Green Falcons. The best-case scenario would see Saudi Arabia playing just two more games in June, but Renard's players will face four more if they need to play in the Fourth Round, six more if they reach the Fifth Round and potentially eight more in total if they make it to the FIFA inter-confederation play-off.
