While Indian health officials have comforted the public that the situation in the country is still stable and within their control, Singapore and Hong Kong, among other parts of Asia, are battling a fresh surge of COVID-19 cases fueled by Omicron subvariants.
During a high-level review meeting chaired by the Ministry of Health on Monday, officials presented a total of 257 active COVID-19 cases across the country as of May 19, 2025. The meeting, presided over by the Director General of Health Services, had attendance by representatives of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Emergency Medical Relief (EMR) division, and key central government hospitals.
Referring to official sources, news agency PTI had stated that almost all active cases are mild and no hospitalisation is needed at present. The ministry underlined that though surveillance and monitoring have been stepped up, there was no suggestion of a large-scale resurgence at this point.
Regional Rise Spurs Caution
The review comes amid growing concern over rising COVID-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong, where infections and hospitalisations have surged in recent weeks due to new Omicron subvariants such as JN.1 and its descendants. Singapore saw a 28% spike in weekly infections, rising from 11,100 cases in late April to 14,200 in early May. Hong Kong, meanwhile, recorded 31 virus-related deaths in the week ending May 3—its highest weekly toll in a year.
India Not Yet In Danger Zone, Say Experts
India’s top epidemiologist, Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, emphasised the need for caution but dismissed panic. “COVID-19 has become endemic in India. There is no cause for alarm unless there is a significant increase in hospitalisations or fatalities,” he said in an interview with News18.
He also urged elderly and immunocompromised persons to follow COVID-appropriate behaviour, such as hand hygiene, wearing of masks, and avoidance of crowded places.
On vaccine readiness, Dr Gangakhedkar referred to GEMCOVAC-19, an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 made by Pune’s Gennova Biopharmaceuticals, and which is formulated to hit Omicron variants. “India can scale up production if need arises,” he said, and existing trends do not suggested that they need to scale up immediately.
Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu Lead Case Count
Among Indian states, Kerala has the highest number of new cases reported since May 12 (69), followed by Maharashtra (44) and Tamil Nadu (34). Other states including Karnataka, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Sikkim have reported low single-digit numbers.
Hospitals have been told to increase surveillance of flu-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI). Surveillance activities are ongoing under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and ICMR network.
Government Emphasises Pre-Emptive Actions
The Union Health Ministry stated that it is “vigilant and proactive” despite international developments. “The situation in India does not seem to be alarming at present. Our preparedness and surveillance measures are strong,” a senior government official stated.
Though analysts are still keeping close tabs on worldwide trends, India has seemingly dodged the severity of spikes in other areas of Asia for the time being.
