India Records 760 New Covid-19 Infections

JN.1 Variant Cases Surpass 500 Mark

On Thursday, India witnessed a surge in Covid-19 cases, reporting 760 new infections in the last 24 hours, marking an increase of 158 compared to the previous day, according to the Union Health Ministry. Despite the rise, active cases decreased to 4,423. 

The recorded deaths include one each in Karnataka and Kerala, totaling two. Notably, 775 patients were discharged, bringing the total Covid-19 death toll in India to 533,373, based on official data.

A spike in daily Covid-19 infections in the country is attributed to the emergence of a new sub-variant, JN.1 variant. Initially identified in Kerala, this variant has now been detected in 11 states across India.

The JN.1 variant has been identified in 11 states, with Kerala and Karnataka being the most affected. Other affected states include Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha, and Haryana, as reported by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). Cumulatively, these states reported 511 cases of the sub-variant by Tuesday, with Karnataka leading at 199 cases, followed by Kerala with 148 cases. According to INSACOG's data, there were 239 recorded cases with the JN.1 variant in December and 24 in November.

The World Health Organization has designated the JN.1 variant as a "variant of interest," yet categorized it as "low risk."

Given the current situation, states and Union Territories are on high alert, ready to respond to any virus surge, according to officials. The Centre has emphasized the importance of effective compliance with the detailed operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for Covid-19 shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. States have also been directed to report district-wise cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in all health facilities.

The Centre reports the administration of over 2.2 billion doses of Covid vaccines in the country, with a discharge rate reaching 98.81 percent.