Shaun
Just when the world had begun to exhale in relief, believing the worst of the pandemic was behind us, COVID-19 has made an unsettling comeback in India. With daily infections steadily climbing and new sub-variants surfacing, the fear of a potential 5th wave is growing louder. So, is the country really heading towards another wave of the deadly COVID-19 virus? As per the latest data, India has seen a sharp surge in active covid cases in the last 24 hours – the country’s current active toll stands at 6,133, a number that health experts warn cannot be ignored.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), this rise, documented since the beginning of 2025, points to a possible new wave driven by highly mutated Omicron sub-lineages like NB.1.8.1, LF.7, and XFG. With Kerala and Delhi reporting the highest number of cases, and fresh fatalities being recorded, state governments are reactivating COVID protocols. The looming question now is will India be forced into another lockdown to curb the spread?
COVID-19 Back In India: Country’s Active Cases Surge Past 6,000 Mark
Kerala continues to be the most affected state, reporting an alarming 127 new COVID-19 cases, according to the latest data. Gujarat follows in second place with 102 fresh cases, while the national capital Delhi has reported 73 new infections.
Other states are also witnessing a noticeable uptick in daily cases:
- Maharashtra has recorded 24 new cases,
- Tamil Nadu has confirmed 27 fresh infections,
- West Bengal stands at 26 new cases,
- Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh have logged 17 and 10 new cases respectively.
Moreover, the total number of patients discharged since January 2025 has reached 5,484, with as many as 760 recoveries recorded as of June 8 alone.
New Symptoms of COVID-19 You Should Know
Many people are reporting different symptoms from the past variants. The strikingly different indicator of this variant has been gastrointestinal issues, as many people have been reporting diarrhoea and gastric issues, followed by lethargy.
With new infections being reported, the possibility of another lockdown looms over them, the people remain apprehensive about what may happen if there’s another lockdown in place.
More than five thousand people have been found positive so far, and the number continues to rise. Latent cases are being reported every day from several states, with the toll of death too is in the rise.
In the face of rising COVID cases, the concerned authorities have taken some precautionary steps and have issued advisories and instructions to the states.
The new cases that are being reported have been driven by the new variants of the coronavirus. These new sub-variants have descended from the omicron variant. The current dominant variant NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 were variants of Omicron, and now their sub-variants JN.1 and LF.7 are also being reported.
Most of the cases that are coming up are of people being infected with the JN.1 variant. The variant is one of the most mutated variants and can evade the effectiveness of vaccines. However, despite the mutation, doctors say that these variants are not that harmful, so people do not need to panic.
Is India Heading Towards Another COVID-19 Lockdown?
The surmounting fear has left people in the hollow of confusion and uncertainty. The people are scared of another lockdown being imposed, and the questions about the same have been circulating all over the internet.
However, the people shouldn’t be in a state of panic as imposing a lockdown is a major decision and is only taken if the severity of the condition is recorded. The government decides on this crucial matter, considering several factors like an increase in the rate of deaths due to COVID-19 and the surge in reported deaths.
When there is a possibility of any serious threat to people’s lives due to the spread of the virus and an increase in infection rate, then only the government goes ahead with the decision to shut down markets and other areas of public gatherings. Lockdown is not the solution that one starts with, but the last resort, and before the government decides to impose lockdown, it first checks the possibility of recovery with some mild restrictions like limiting public gatherings and imposing regulations, asking people to be cautious.
“Do Not Panic… Lockdown Is …”
The patients are recovering at home with regular medications, with only some requiring hospitalization. The first and second waves of the coronavirus had resulted in a lot of devastation and destruction all over the world, which not only impacted the health sector but also other industries, too, like finance and education. The overall brunt of the virus that the world faces pushed the government to decide on the matter of shutting down the nation, which incurred huge losses.
What can deter another lockdown is the improved immunity and vaccination that people have been given in the past variants.
Considering the better immunity, availability of vaccines and better healthcare facilities for COVID treatment, the scope of another lockdown is reduced and one must be aware that as of now, there is no lockdown-like situation, so people must not panic.
