India’s Covid-19 cases go past 6,000, Central Govt ramps up emergency drills

India’s active Covid-19 caseload crossed the 6,000 mark this weekend, with 769 fresh infections reported in just 48 hours, triggering a nationwide alert. The Union Health Ministry has flagged Kerala as the most affected state, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal and Delhi.

In response to the spike, the Centre has ordered mock drills across hospitals to test facility-level preparedness. All states have been directed to ensure adequate stocks of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators and essential drugs, according to official sources.

As of June 8, India had 6,133 active Covid cases and six more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. While officials say most infections remain mild and manageable at home, the rise has prompted a renewed focus on rapid response.

From just 257 active cases on May 22 to over 6,000 now, the sharp uptick has led to high-level reviews. A series of technical meetings were held on June 2 and 3, chaired by Dr. Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services, with participation from the NCDC, ICMR, Emergency Management teams, and representatives of all states and Union Territories.

Officials said district surveillance units under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) are keeping a close watch on cases of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI).

“Testing is being conducted for all hospitalized SARI cases and at least 5% of ILI cases. Positive SARI samples are being sent for genome sequencing through the ICMR’s VRDL network,” an official source said.

Since January this year, India has recorded 65 Covid-related deaths.