New Delhi: Delhi has reported its first COVID-19-related death after a 60-year-old woman died due to the infection as India grapples with a recent surge in infections. Health officials confirmed that the woman was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain and vomiting.
The patient was diagnosed with Acute Intestinal Obstruction and an emergency laparotomy (abdominal surgery). Critically, routine post-surgery testing revealed her positive COVID-19 status, despite her having exhibited no prior symptoms of the virus before her hospitalisation.
This tragic death comes as the national capital experiences an uptick in cases, with 56 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, bringing Delhi’s active caseload to 294.
Across India, the situation also shows a concerning trend. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) data indicates a total of 2,710 COVID-19 cases nationwide, with 511 new infections and 7 fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours alone.
The current spike in cases is being led by Kerala, which has reported a significant 227 fresh infections, pushing its active caseload to 1,147, nearly half of the country’s total. West Bengal has added 59 new cases, increasing its active tally to 116, while Maharashtra, a state historically impacted by previous waves, reported 84 new cases, bringing its total infections this year to 681 and its active cases to 467.
Health authorities are closely monitoring the situation, particularly the emergence of subvariants. According to May 2025 classifications by the World Health Organisation (WHO), subvariants LF.7 and NB.1.8.1 are categorised as Variants Under Monitoring. While not yet deemed Variants of Concern or Interest, these strains are suspected of contributing to the rising infections observed across India, China, and other parts of Asia.
