Overview
- India has surpassed 1,000 active COVID-19 cases this week, led by spikes in Kerala (430), Maharashtra (209) and Delhi (104).
- ICMR Director General Dr. Rajiv Behl says the current surge involves Omicron subvariants causing mostly mild symptoms managed through home isolation.
- The World Health Organization and Indian health officials confirm that the NB.1.8.1 variant shows no increase in severity or mortality compared with earlier strains.
- Anxiety has surged after Japanese artist Ryo Tatsuki’s 1999 book predicted a renewed pandemic in 2030 and a tsunami three times larger than 2011’s disaster in July 2025.
- Bookings to Japan have dropped more than 50%, according to WWPKG, as travelers cancel plans over fears of predicted natural disasters and rising infections.