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The death toll rose to 533,385, with 12 fatalities reported. The case fatality rate was pegged at 1.18 per cent, the health ministry said.
In the past 24 hours, 838 people recuperated from Covid-19, taking the total number of recovered cases to 44 million. The national recovery rate was recorded at 98.81 per cent, the ministry said.
On Thursday, India reported 760 Covid-19 cases. Two deaths were reported.
The country on Wednesday logged 602 fresh cases of the infection and five fatalities, the ministry said.
The resurgence of cases is being closely monitored, mainly due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus JN.1 variant, which is classified as a ‘variant of interest’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The JN.1 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant and has been identified as the most prevalent strain in the US, accounting for over 44 per cent of cases there.
JN.1 coronavirus variant cases in India
In India, 541 cases of JN.1 sub-variant have been reported from nine states as of January 3, with Karnataka reporting the highest count at 198, followed by 148 in Kerala.
The other states where JN.1 cases have been detected are — 47 in Goa, 36 in Gujarat, 32 in Maharashtra, 30 in Andhra Pradesh, 26 in Tamil Nadu, 15 in Delhi, four in Rajasthan, two in Telangana and one each in Odisha and Haryana.
Experts warn that while JN.1 is highly transmissible, it primarily causes mild symptoms similar to a common cold, affecting the upper respiratory tract and that the overall risk is low. They have also asked people not to panic and stressed that viral respiratory illnesses usually see a spike during the winter months.
First Published: Jan 05 2024 | 11:24 AM IST
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