A total of 63 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been reported in India till Sunday, December 24, official sources said on Monday. This includes 34 cases from Goa, nine cases from Maharashtra, eight cases from Karnataka and six from Kerala, four from Tamil Nadu and two from Telangana, they added.
According to Union Health Ministry data, the country recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload jumped to 4,054. The total fatalities were recorded at 5,33,334 (5.33 lakh) with one new death reported from Kerala in the previous 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said last week that the scientific community in India is closely investigating the new Covid sub-variant and stressed the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance systems.
Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as 92% of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating a mild illness, officials had said.
There is also no increase in hospitalisation rates and COVID-19 is an incidental finding in those hospitalised due to other medical conditions, they had said.
In a letter to the states and Union territories last week, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant underlined the critical COVID-19 control-and-management strategies considering the upcoming festive season and advised them to put in place the requisite public health measures to minimise the risk of increase in the transmission of the disease.
The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance of the detailed operational guidelines for a revised Covid surveillance strategy shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The states have been asked to monitor and report district-wise cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) from all health facilities regularly for an early detection of a rising trend of cases.
The country's Covid case tally is currently at 4,50,09,248 (4.50 crore). The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has risen to 4,44,71,860 (4.44 crore) while the national recovery rate stands at 98.81%, according to the health ministry website.
The case fatality rate stands at 1.19%. According to the ministry website, 220.67 crore Covid vaccine doses have been administered.
The JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1) sub-variant of Covid emerged in August in Luxembourg. It is a descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of SARS COV2.
