Health Ministry warns citizens to be cautious of COVID-19 as January can witness rise in cases

Health ministry sources said on Wednesday that India might experience a spike in cases in January due to an increase in Covid-19 cases being reported by China and other East Asian nations, citing trends seen in previous waves. However, officials said it is unlikely that hospital admissions and fatalities will rise.

“We have seen during the three previous waves that any surge reported in East Asian countries hits Europe in about 10 days, the Americas in another 10 days, and the Pacific island countries in another 10 days. The surge reaches India in 30 to 35 days. So, it is crucial that people stay cautious during the month of January,” Health ministry officials said.

Following a reintroduction of random sampling on December 24, the government tested nearly 6,000 passengers over the last three days. The results of 39 of these were positive, according to the authorities. However, the government has no plans to impose a mask mandate or a travel ban.