On Sunday, Maharashtra reported 50 new cases of COVID-19, with 9 of them identified as the JN.1 variant. This brings the total number of variant cases in the state to 10.
Another Covid related death in Kerala
In Kerala, another COVID-19-related death occurred on Sunday, contributing to a total of 7 deaths in the last 4 days. The Central Health Ministry highlights Kerala as having the highest number of active COVID-19 cases, with 425 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George attributes the rise in COVID-19 cases in the state to increased testing compared to other states. Regarding the JN.1 variant, the minister assured that the situation is under control.
707 new cases in the country in past 24 hours
Nationwide, there were 707 new cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of active cases to 3,792. A total of 333 people recovered from COVID-19 during this period, with 296 recoveries reported in Kerala alone.
Following Kerala, Karnataka is experiencing a notable impact, reporting 104 new cases and 8 recoveries in the past 24 hours, bringing the active case count in the state to 271.
Woman who arrived from London tests positive
Meanwhile, a 60-year-old woman who arrived from London has tested positive for COVID-19 in Amritsar.
The JN.1 variant has spread to 41 countries, with the highest number of cases reported in France, America, Britain, Singapore, Canada, and Sweden. In India, 23 cases of the new variant have been reported, all with mild symptoms.
No need for an additional vaccine dose
In the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases in India and the discovery of a subvariant JN.1, Dr. NK Arora, the head of the India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), has stated that there is currently no need for an additional vaccine dose specifically targeting the subvariant.
“Every week you hear something new coming up in different parts and then it spreads all over India. We have identified a large number of subvariants, over 400 subvariants, or mutations of this virus, and fortunately, none of these Omicron variants have really been associated with more severe disease or hospitalisation," Dr NK Arora said.
Centre issued advisory
The central government has issued an advisory to all states, urging them to conduct maximum COVID-19 tests and send positive samples for genome sequencing. While there is no need for immediate restrictions or panic, caution is advised in border districts adjacent to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Special attention is emphasized during Christmas and New Year celebrations.
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