COVID-19 update: 162 JN.1 cases detected in India; Highest in Kerala
India recorded 797 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the highest in 225 days, taking the number of active infections in the country to 4,091.
COVID-19 update: India has recorded 162 cases of COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 till Friday, with the highest number reported from Kerala with 83 such infections, followed by 34 cases in Gujarat. Several states have reported a rise in Covid cases in the past few weeks and nine states and Union Territories have so far detected the presence of the JN.1 subvariant of the virus, according to updated data from INSACOG on Friday.
These states are: Kerala (83), Gujarat (34), Goa (18), Karnataka (eight), Maharashtra (seven), Rajasthan (five), Tamil Nadu (four), Telangana (two) and Delhi (one), according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).
According to the INSACOG data, 145 Covid cases recorded in the country in December had the presence of JN.1, while 17 such cases were detected in November.
India records 797 new cases of COVID-19
Meanwhile, 797 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded across the country on Friday, the highest in 225 days, bringing the number of active cases to 4,091, according to Health Ministry data.
According to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am, five new fatalities due to Covid have been reported in a span of 24 hours – two from Kerala and one each from Maharashtra, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.
India had recorded 865 new cases on May 19.
The number of daily cases had fallen to double digits until December 5, but cases have risen again following the emergence of a new variant and cold weather.
The daily figures were in lakhs at the height of the pandemic, which started in early 2020 and has since infected more than 4.5 million people and caused more than 5.3 lakh deaths across the country in about four years.
According to the ministry’s website, the number of people who have recovered from the disease is over 4.4 crore, with a national recovery rate of 98.81 percent.
According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far.
JN.1 threat
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate ‘major variant’ given its rapidly increasing spread, but said it poses a ‘low’ global public health risk.
The JN.1 subvariant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sublineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.
However, JN.1 cases continued to be reported from multiple countries in recent weeks and its prevalence has increased rapidly worldwide.
The Center has asked states and Union Territories to maintain constant vigil amid rise in Covid cases and detection of JN.1 subvariant in the country.
(With input from agencies)