As Covid-19 cases witnessed a gradual uptick in India, the Union Minister of State for Health and AYUSH (Independent Charge), Prataprao Jadhav, on Friday assured that the Centre is fully prepared to handle any situation that may arise.

“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 said.

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The sudden rise in Covid cases prompted the government to boost surveillance, reinforce health protocols, and urge vulnerable populations to stay up to date with vaccinations.

“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,” Jadhav told the ANI news agency.

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Meanwhile, in the US, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has flagged a new variant, NB.1.8.1, which led to a spike in hospitalisations in China before being detected in the US. Mississippi, in particular, has seen a sharp rise in cases.

Covid-19: Here are some top updates

• Mizoram has reported Covid cases for the first time in seven months with two persons testing positive for the infection, health department officials said.
• As many as 84 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Maharashtra on Friday, taking the tally of cases registered since the start of the year to 681, the state public health department said.
• A 63-year-old man who tested positive for Covid-19 died at a private hospital in Karnataka’s Mysuru, taking the total coronavirus-related death toll in the state to three, officials said on Friday.
• The health department bulletin pegged active Covid-19 cases at 234 in Karnataka as of May 30, with 114 new cases reported on Friday.
• On May 28, Rajasthan reported seven new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases this year to 39, with one death, according to the state health department.
• Punjab also reported two active Covid-19 cases recently, one patient from Yamunanagar and another from Ambala — both are currently undergoing treatment.
• On May 26, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) stated that while Covid-19 cases are being reported again from parts of the country, the circulating variants are currently showing mild symptoms similar to the Omicron strain.