Covid cases creep up, experts say no worry One case of the newly emerging COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 and four instances of LF.7 type were detected in India, according to INSACOG data. As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as ‘Variants being Monitored’, not as ‘Variants of Concern’ or ‘Variants of Interest’. But these are the variants that are reportedly driving the rise in Covid cases in China and parts of Asia. In India, the most common variant remains JN.1, comprising 53% of samples BENGALURU  SUNDAY  MAY 25, 2025  `12.00  PAGES 24  LATE CITY EDITION CHENNAI I MADURAI I VIJAYAWADA I BENGALURU I KOCHI I HYDERABAD I VISAKHAPATNAM I COIMBATORE I KOZHIKODE I THIRUVANANTHAPURAM I BELAGAVI I BHUBANESWAR I SHIVAMOGGA I MANGALURU I TIRUPATI I TIRUCHY I TIRUNELVELI I SAMBALPUR I HUBBALLI I DHARMAPURI I KOTTAYAM I KANNUR I VILLUPURAM I KOLLAM I TADEPALLIGUDEM I NAGAPATTINAM I THRISSUR I KALABURAGI PM chants Centre-state unity for Viksit goal Piped water to all houses in 1,000 days, says Siddu 84-year-old man with comorbidities dies, tests positive for Covid EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE CHIEF Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said in the next 1,000 days, Karnataka aims to guarantee 100% piped water to every household, establish Karnataka as South Asia’s electric vehicle capital and achieve full digital and financial inclusion of women. In his speech, shared at the India @2047 event organised by NITI Aayog in New Delhi, he highlighted Karnataka’s roadmap for 1,000 days and shared his views on Karnataka’s role in nation-building. The CM did not attend the meeting. He said the state aims to transform every district into a skill hub, double the area under organic farming and make Karnataka India’s most-efficient service delivery state and advance positive discrimination for social equity ensuring inclusion , of every voice and identity P4 . AN 84-year-old man from Bengaluru, who tested positive for Covid-19, has died, but health officials clarified that his death was mainly due to a severe infection and not caused by the virus alone. The man was admitted to a private hospital with serious health complications on May 13 and died on May 17. His Covid test report, however, came back positive on Saturday . Health officials told TNIE that he suffered from septic shock and multi-organ dysfunction — a life-threatening condition where an infection causes several organs to fail. He also had pneumonia in both lungs and multiple pre-existing health problems. Officials confirmed that he had no recent travel history “The pa. tient had several comorbidities and died from complications related to a severe infection. Covid @ Bengaluru Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union ministers, chief ministers and administrators of various states and Union Territories at the NITI Aayog Governing Council meet in New Delhi on Saturday | PTI M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi CURBS ON MEDIA AT THE PENTAGON US defense secretary issues restrictions on media, including ban from wide swaths of Pentagon without govt escort | P9 WITH THIS ISSUE STADIUM TO SCREEN PLUS 12 PAGES PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged all states to develop at least one tourist destination at par with global standards by providing the full range of facilities, including infrastructure, while addressing the Gover ning Council of NITI Aayog. Giving special emphasis to tourism, he said, ‘One State, One Global Destination’, would lead to the development of neighbouring towns as well as tourist places. Chairing the 10th edition of the NITI Aayog’s Governing Council meeting, Modi said if the Union government and states work together like Team India, no goal is impossible to achieve. He urged all chief ministers to make the spirit of solidarity trickle down to the district and village levels. Noting that India collectively should work in a manner so as to bring change in the lives of common people, Modi said, “Only when people feel the change, it will transform into a national movement.” Modi also sought to expedite the pace of development. “We have to increase the speed of development,” he added. “This is the century of technology and it should be integrated in every field from governance to agriculture,” he said, adding: “Atmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Local are the strategies through which EXPRESS READ Shubman Gill to lead Test team for Eng tour Mumbai: Batting star Shubman Gill has been handed India’s Test leadership for next month’s tour of England. He will have Rishabh Pant as his deputy for the series that will begin in Leeds on June 20 | P11 Felt like a monkey, says Miss England Hyderabad: Miss England 2024, Milla Maggie, who left the 72nd edition of Miss World on May 16 citing “personal reasons”, has claimed in the tabloid The Sun that “we had to sit like performing monkeys” | P5 the vision of Viksit Bharat can be achieved. We should encourage it wholeheartedly .” The theme of this edition of the meeting was ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047’. “Viksit Bharat is the goal of every Indian. When every state is Viksit, then Bharat will be Viksit. This is the aspiration of its 140 crore citizens,” Modi said, adding that India is getting rapidly urbanised. The PM issued a call to work towards future ready cities. Growth, innovation and sustainability should be the engine for the development of our cities, he added. Modi recommended reforms in public and private sectors for working women with focus on their ease of working. @Bengaluru CM Siddaramaiah sports a mask in the wake of increasing Covid cases, in Mysuru, on Saturday | UDAYASHANKAR S was present, but it cannot be considered the main cause of death,” a senior health department official said. “We are fully prepared and all necessary medical resources are in place” As of Saturday, Karnataka reported 38 Covid cases, a rise of three compared to Friday Of . these, 32 cases were from Bengaluru alone. A case each was reported from Bengaluru Rural, Dakshina Kannada, Vijayanagara, and Ballari, and two P3 from Mysuru. Monsoon arrives in Kerala 8 days ahead of schedule EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ T’puram TWO people died in Kannur while widespread damage was reported from across the state, especially in the northern districts, as the Southwest monsoon made an early onset over Kerala on Saturday. Bayas Oroyana, a Jharkhand native, died in a landslide while working on the NH 66. Earlier in the day another landslide claimed , the life of Ratheesh, 52, at Azhiyur in Kannur. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded red alert for Malapppuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod on Sunday On . Monday, all districts, barring Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha, will be placed under red alert. This marks the earliest onset of the Southwest monsoon in Kerala in the last 16 years. The IMD said this year’s onset was eight days ahead of the normal schedule of June 1, and was the earliest after 2009, when it set in on May 23. MONSOON HITS K’TAKA, IT’S 10 DAYS EARLY Bengaluru: For the first time in more than one-and-a-half decades, the southwest monsoon officially entered Karnataka on Saturday, nearly 10 days ahead of schedule, which is normally the first week of June. The Met has forecast heavy to very heavy rain for the next seven days | P5