India has reported an increase in COVID-19 cases, with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reporting 6 new deaths in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of deaths since January 2025 to 65. According to the Union Health Ministry data released on Sunday, June 8, 2025, the country's active COVID-19 case tally has crossed the 6,000 mark, with 769 new infections reported in the last 48 hours.
Kerala remains the most affected state, followed by Gujarat, West Bengal, and Delhi. The central government is conducting mock drills to check facility-level preparedness due to the rising cases and has instructed all states to ensure the availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines.
Official sources maintain that most cases are mild and can be managed under home care. As of June 8, there are 6,133 active COVID-19 cases in India. On May 22, there were only 257 active patients in the country.
A series of technical review meetings were held on June 2 and 3, chaired by Dr. Sunita Sharma, Director General of Health Services, to evaluate the COVID-19 situation and preparedness measures. Representatives from various organizations, including the Disaster Management Cell, Emergency Management Response Cell, National Centre for Disease Control, and the Indian Council of Medical Research, participated in the meeting. State and district surveillance units under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme are closely monitoring Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI).
Of the new deaths reported, one each occurred in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. In Madhya Pradesh, a 45-year-old pregnant woman died after suffering seizures and later tested positive for COVID-19. In Maharashtra, a 63-year-old man with a history of hyperthyroidism succumbed to the virus. In Kerala, a 59-year-old man battling stage 4 lung cancer died due to COVID-19 complications. In Tamil Nadu, a 79-year-old diabetic man, bedridden for a month, died of COVID-induced pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Since January 2025, Maharashtra has reported the highest number of COVID-related deaths (18), followed by Kerala (12), Delhi and Karnataka (7 each), Tamil Nadu (5), and Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat (2 each). Rajasthan and West Bengal have each reported one death during this period.
As of June 8, a total of 5,484 patients have recovered and been discharged since January 2025, with 760 of those recoveries occurring this month. Only four states, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Mizoram, and Tripura, reported zero new infections in the last 24 hours.
The primary coronavirus variant causing the recent spread is known as NB.1.8.1, which has been reported in several countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Thailand, China, and Hong Kong. The WHO has classified the NB.1.8.1 strain as a "variant under monitoring" (VUM). Health experts indicate that there is no evidence suggesting that this new strain is more severe or deadly than previous strains, but it appears to spread more easily.
