The Maharashtra health department has said that two people have died due to COVID-19 since January this year. Both deaths happened in Mumbai, and the patients also had other serious health problems.

One of them was suffering from a kidney-related condition and low calcium levels, while the other person had cancer. According to the health department, over 6,000 COVID-19 tests have been done in the state since January. Out of these, 106 people tested positive,101 of them in Mumbai, and the rest in Pune, Thane, and Kolhapur.

Right now, 52 COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms and are being treated at home or in basic care. Another 16 people are in hospitals. The department also said that the rise in COVID-19 cases is not just happening in Maharashtra but in other parts of India and even in other countries.

In the past few weeks, Covid-19 cases have gone up in several Asian countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and China. Many people in these countries are being admitted to hospitals due to the virus. In India, however, health officials say the rise in cases is small. According to PTI, India has reported 257 cases so far. Officials said the cases are mostly mild, with no signs of serious illness or deaths. They added that the government is closely watching the situation.

Why are COVID-19 cases rising?

Singapore’s health experts say the increase in Covid-19 cases is because people’s immunity is weakening and new versions of the virus, called LF.7 and NB.1.8, are spreading. These new variants come from an earlier variant named JN.1 that appeared in 2024. This means that protection from past infections or vaccines is wearing off, so the virus spreads more easily, especially among older people over 65. Other reasons for the rise include changes in the season, more gatherings, and more travel.

Right now, these new variants (LF.7 and NB.1.8) make up over two-thirds of the cases in Singapore. The current COVID-19 vaccine is made based on the JN.1 variant. In India, there is no clear information yet about these new variants spreading. In Hong Kong, experts say COVID-19 is now an ongoing illness that comes in waves or regular cycles. Dr. Tsui from Hong Kong’s health department said COVID-19 has become an ongoing illness that comes in waves. These waves happen because the main virus strains change, and people’s overall immunity goes down over time.

Hong Kong also mentioned “declining herd immunity” as a reason for this pattern. In Singapore, many people who are getting treatment for COVID-19 haven’t taken a booster shot for over a year. This may be happening in other countries as well.