B.1.617 COVID-19 variant, first detected in India, now found in 53 countries: WHO
United Nations/Geneva: The B.1.617 COVID-19 variant, first detected in India, has now been found in 53 countries, according to the WHO, which noted that India recorded a 23 per cent decrease in the number of new cases in the last seven days but they were still the highest in the world.
The World Health Organisation's COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update, published May 25, said that over the past week, the number of new cases and deaths continued to decrease globally, with over 4.1 million new cases and 84,000 new deaths reported, a 14 per cent and 2 per cent decrease respectively compared to the previous week.
According to the update, the B.1.617 variant, first detected in India, is now prevalent in 53 countries globally.
The B.1.617 viruses are divided in three lineages - B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3. The update gave a break-up of prevalence of the three sub-lineages of the B.1.617 variant in countries, territories and areas as of May 25.
According to it, B.1.617.1 is found in 41 countries, B.1.617.2 in 54 countries and B.1.617.3 in six. In addition, information for the B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 sub-lineages was received by WHO from unofficial sources in 11 countries, including China, and will be reviewed as more information becomes available.
WHO has declared B.1.617 as a variant of concern and the update noted that this variant has increased transmissibility , disease severity is under investigation , risk of reinfection is under investigation, possible modest reduction in neutralization activity (B.1.617.1).
It said that the highest numbers of new COVID cases in the last seven days were reported from India (1,846,055 new cases; 23 per cent decrease), Brazil (451,424 new cases; 3 per cent increase), Argentina (213,046 new cases; 41 per cent increase), the United States of America (188,410 new cases; 20 per cent decrease), and Colombia (107,590 new cases; 7 per cent decrease).
Despite a declining global trend over the past four weeks, incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths remain high, and substantial increases have been observed in many countries throughout the world, it said.
The update further said that the South-East Asia Region reported over 2 million new cases and over 32,000 new deaths, a 21 per cent decrease and a 4 per cent increase respectively compared to the previous week.
"While the overall incidence of cases continues to decrease (driven primarily by trends in India), death incidence continued to increase for a tenth consecutive week, and sizable increases have been observed in other countries in the region, it said.
In the region, the highest numbers of new deaths were reported from India (28,982 new deaths; 2.1 new deaths per 100,000; a 4 per cent increase), Nepal (1,297 new deaths; 4.5 new deaths per 100,000; a 6 per cent increase), and Indonesia (1,238 new deaths; 0.5 new deaths per 100,000; a 10 per cent increase).
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China launches online visa application system for Indian travellers starting today
New Delhi: The Chinese Embassy in India has rolled out a new online visa application system beginning Monday, aiming to make the visa process easier and faster for Indian travellers.
According to a report published by NDTV, the announcement was made by the Chinese Ambassador, who said that from December 22, 2025, applicants can fill out visa forms and upload all required documents online. The new facility can be accessed through the embassy’s official website, offering a more convenient way to apply without lengthy paperwork.
With this system, applicants will be able to complete most of the documentation online, reducing the time spent at the visa centre.
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The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi will continue to assist applicants alongside the online system. The centre functions Monday to Friday between 9 am and 3 pm and is located at the Shivaji Stadium Metro Station in Connaught Place. Applicants can also contact the centre by phone if needed. The information was shared by the envoy on his post on X, too.
According to an important notice issued by the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi, applicants must now visit the official website of the centre to create or sign in to their accounts. After logging in, applicants are required to fill out the visa application form online and upload all necessary supporting documents through the portal.
As per the official notice, applicants must first create an account on the visa centre’s website, fill out the application form online, and upload all supporting documents. Before submitting their passport at the centre, they must ensure that their application status shows “online review completed” and that they have received the confirmation email.
The introduction of the online visa application system is seen as a step toward enhancing people-to-people exchanges and facilitating travel between India and China.
Recently, India also confirmed that the visa regime for Chinese nationals is now fully restored. Tourist visas, which were suspended after the 2020 border tensions, resumed globally in November 2025. Business visas had already restarted earlier.
As per the report, the resumption of visas is part of a series of "people-centric" confidence-building measures agreed upon by both sides in 2025, which also included the resumption of direct commercial flights in October 2025 and the revival of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrimage.
The move is expected to encourage tourism, business travel, and cultural exchange between the two countries.
