The national capital has reported 99 new Covid-19 cases over the past week, bringing the total number of active cases to 104, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As Delhi crossed the 100-mark in active infections, CM Rekha Gupta on Monday assured the public that the government is closely monitoring the situation and has issued necessary guidelines to all hospitals.

“There is no need to panic. We are keeping a close watch, and clear instructions have been issued to hospitals to stay prepared,” said CM Gupta. She emphasised that all state-run hospitals are fully equipped to handle the situation and manage any rise in cases.

Last week, the Delhi government issued a Covid-19 advisory directing hospitals to ensure the availability of beds, oxygen supplies, essential medicines, and vaccines.

“Hospitals must ensure complete preparedness, including availability of beds, oxygen, antibiotics, essential drugs, and vaccines. All equipment—such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, and PSA plants—must be in working condition,” the advisory stated.

It also instructed all healthcare institutions to send positive Covid-19 samples for genome sequencing to Lok Nayak Hospital. Health Minister Pankaj Singh stated that authorities are also verifying whether the reported patients are residents of Delhi or have a recent travel history.

“There’s no cause for concern. The current variant is behaving like a common viral infection. Patients have shown only mild symptoms such as fever, cough, and cold,” Singh said. According to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), the recent spike in cases is driven by NB.1.8.1 and LF.7—sub-lineages of the JN.1 Covid variant.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry reported 1,009 Covid-19 cases across the country, with Kerala (430) and Maharashtra (209) recording the highest numbers. Seven deaths were reported—four in Maharashtra, two in Kerala, and one in Karnataka.

Both NB.1.8.1 and LF.7 are currently classified as Variants under Monitoring (VUM) by the World Health Organization (WHO), meaning they require focused surveillance and further assessment by public health authorities.

Current variant is like a common viral: Minister

Pankaj Singh stated that authorities are also verifying whether the reported patients are residents of Delhi or have a recent travel history. here’s no cause for concern. “The current variant is behaving like a common viral infection. Patients have shown only mild symptoms such as fever, cough, and cold,” he added.