In the past 24 hours, India has reported a spike in COVID-19 cases, with 692 new infections, pushing the total active caseload to 4,097, according to the latest data from the Union Health Ministry. The overall tally of coronavirus cases in the country, since the onset of the pandemic in January 2020, now stands at 4,50,10,944, with an increase of 702 cases in the last day.
The health authorities also confirmed six new deaths in the same period, bringing the total death toll due to COVID-19 in India to 5,33,346. The fatalities were reported in different states, with two in Maharashtra, and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal.
Adding a new dimension to the situation, Delhi reported its first case of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 on Wednesday. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Delhi reports the first case of JN.1, a Sub-Variant of Omicron. Out of the three samples sent for Genome Sequencing, one is JN.1, and two are Omicron.”
The JN.1 sub-variant, a descendant of the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.86 or Pirola, was initially reported in Kerala. Health Ministry sources have identified a total of 109 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant in India until now. However, the World Health Organisation has emphasized that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.
In response to the escalating COVID-19 situation, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has issued guidelines for handling suspected or positive cases. AIIMS Delhi director conducted a meeting on Wednesday with department heads to discuss contingency measures, including testing policies, designated areas for positive patients, and hospitalization protocols. These measures aim to address the sudden surge in coronavirus cases across the country.