India sees 841 COVID cases amid JN.1 surge, highest in 7 months

Covid-19 cases: India witnessed a surge in Covid-19 cases on Sunday, recording 841 new infections, marking the highest daily increase in over seven months, as reported by the Union Health Ministry. The active caseload also saw an uptick, rising to 4,309 from the previous day's count of 3,997. Additionally, three new deaths were reported, with fatalities reported in Kerala, Karnataka, and Bihar.

The recent spike in cases comes after a period of relatively low infection rates, with daily cases having fallen to double digits until December 5. The emergence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus and colder weather conditions are believed to have contributed to the recent surge.

Since the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak in January 2020, India has reported a total of 4.50 crore cases and 5,33,361 deaths. Despite the recent increase in cases, the country maintains a high recovery rate of 98.81%, with 4.44 crore people having recuperated from the illness.

The health ministry reports that over 220.67 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered as part of the nationwide vaccination campaign.

As the nation approaches the new year, health authorities remain vigilant, emphasizing the importance of adhering to Covid-19 safety protocols to curb the further spread of the virus. While experts advise individuals with comorbidities and the elderly to avoid crowded places and wear face masks, they assert that there is currently no need to implement additional public health measures.

Notably, 178 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant have been reported across nine states, with Goa and Kerala reporting the highest counts at 47 and 41, respectively. Other states with reported JN.1 cases include Gujarat (36), Karnataka (34), Maharashtra (9), Rajasthan (4), Tamil Nadu (4), Telangana (2), and Delhi (1).