India registered 573 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, while the number of active cases of the infection has increased to 4,565, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. Two new desths due to Covid– each from Haryana and Karnataka — were also reported, according to the ministry’s data.
A total of 312 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been detected in the country so far, with about half of them recorded in Kerala, according to the INSACOG’s data updated today.
Ten states and Union territories have so far detected the presence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus.
These states are Kerala (133), Goa (51), Gujarat (34), Delhi (16), Karnataka (eight), Maharashtra (nine), Rajasthan (five), Tamil Nadu (four), Telangana (two) and Odisha (one), according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).
The INSACOG’s data showed 239 Covid cases recorded in the country in December had the presence of JN.1, while 24 such cases were detected in November.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate “variant of interest” given its rapidly-increasing spread, but said it poses a “low” global public health risk.
The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.
However, in recent weeks, JN.1 cases continued to be reported from multiple countries and its prevalence has rapidly increased globally.
The Centre has asked the states and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country.
( with agency inputs)
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COVID-19: India reports 573 new cases, 2 deaths; 312 JN.1 cases so far
