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PremiumCovid-19 JN.1 Variant Updates: India witnessed an increase of 628 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, contributing to a rise in the active caseload, which reached 4,054, as per the data provided by the Union Health Ministry. As many as 63 cases of the new JN.1 variant were detected in India till Sunday, official sources told PTI.
The total number of fatalities stood at 5,33,334 (5.33 lakh), with one new death reported from Kerala in the preceding 24 hours, according to the information updated at 8 am. The country's Covid case tally is currently at 4,50,09,248 (4.50 crore).
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has risen to 4,44,71,860 (4.44 crore) while the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry website.
Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in India and the detection of a subvariant JN.1, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora said that no additional dose of vaccine is needed against the subvariant at present.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently designated JN.1 as a variant of interest, differentiating it from its parent lineage BA.2.86. Despite its swift dissemination, the global health organization has underscored that the overall risk associated with JN.1 is currently considered low based on available evidence.
This decision by the WHO to classify JN.1 as a distinct variant of interest is a departure from its earlier classification as part of the BA.2.86 sublineages.
This blog has ended, check COVID -19 in India LIVE Updates for latest updates.
Maharashtra reported 28 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the number of active cases in the state to 153, as per a health department bulletin. The state has so far reported nine cases of JN.1 sub-variant. No such case was reported on Monday.
Out of these 34 cases of JN.1 detected in Karnataka, 20 are from Bengaluru city alone, PTI reported.
The Karnataka Department of Health & Family Welfare Services on Monday said 34 cases of COVID-19's variant JN.1 have been detected in the state so far, which include three deaths. Earlier in the day, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had said about 35 cases of JN.1 have been detected in Karnataka so far, but had maintained that the information is subjected to details shared by the department, later, news agency PTI reported.
Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday said the state government's Cabinet sub-committee will meet on December 26 to discuss on the recommendations made by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on further measures to be taken to manage COVID-19 situation in the state. (PTI inputs)
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde has tested positive for coronavirus, state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Monday. There is no need to panic about the viral infection, Pawar was quoted by PTI as saying.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said on Monday that there are four Covid patients in hospitals in Delhi and asked for a genome sequencing report to know whether the new cases are of new variants or not after the COVID cases registered a rise in the country towards the end of 2023 with sub-variant JN.1.
Experts caution identifying the subtle changes in symptoms caused by different COVID-19 variants is challenging due to diverse antibodies from vaccinations or prior infections. "The types of symptoms and how severe they usually depend more on a person's immunity and overall health rather than which variant causes the infection," the CDC said in a report on Dec. 8 discussing the JN.1 strain, as reported by CBC News. Tap here for details
COVID news LIVE: Amid some anxiety over the new variant JN.1, the India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora has confirmed that no additional dose of vaccine is needed for the new variant. Tap here to read more
Sixty-three cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 were reported in the country till Sunday, including 34 detected in Goa, official sources told news agency PTI on Monday. "Nine cases have been detected from Maharashtra, eight from Karnataka, six from Kerala, four from Tamil Nadu and two from Telangana," they added.
Sixty-three cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 were reported in the country till Sunday, including 34 detected in Goa, official sources said on Monday. "Nine cases have been detected from Maharashtra, eight from Karnataka, six from Kerala, four from Tamil Nadu and two from Telangana," they added.
Three persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra’s Beed district, an official said on Monday.
The district administration has appealed to people not to panic and asked them to take necessary precautions, the official from the district health department said.
The RT-PCR tests of three persons came out positive for the infection on Sunday, he said.
“We have sent the samples to a laboratory in Pune to check for the JN.1 sub-variant. Two of the infected persons are from Beed taluka and one is from Vadwani," the official said.
The patients are in a stable condition and under home quarantine, he said. (PTI)
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde has tested positive for coronavirus, state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Monday.
There is no need to panic about the viral infection, Pawar told reporters.
"One of my cabinet colleagues, Dhananjay Munde, has tested positive for COVID-19. However, the administration is taking care in the state and necessary instructions to check its spread have been given to officials," he said. (PTI)
India recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload jumped to 4,054, according to Union Health Ministry data. Read here.
Three persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Maharashtra’s Beed district, an official said on Monday.
The district administration has appealed to people not to panic and asked them to take necessary precautions, the official from the district health department said.
The RT-PCR tests of three persons came out positive for the infection on Sunday, he said.
“We have sent the samples to a laboratory in Pune to check for the JN.1 sub-variant. Two of the infected persons are from Beed taluka and one is from Vadwani," the official said. (PTI)
Covid cases registered a rise in the country towards the end of 2023 with sub-variant JN.1 on the radar while the Delhi government planned to step up genome surveillance to tackle the issue going forward.
As the new threat looms on the horizon with an uptick in Covid cases amid the festive season, doctors in Delhi have advised people to wear masks, avoid gatherings and maintain a healthy diet.
The devastating third wave of the Covid pandemic driven by the Omicron variant had resulted in a record surge of infections in Delhi in early 2022, and the second one driven by the Delta variant had wreaked havoc in the national capital, as at other places, in 2021. (PTI)
Kerala reported 128 fresh COVID-19 cases and one death due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Monday.
Of the 315 active coronavirus infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 128 were from Kerala, taking the active cases in the state to 3,128, as per the website. With one death reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,064. The number of people who were cured, discharged, or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 247. (PTI)
India recorded a single-day rise of 628 new COVID-19 cases while the active caseload jumped to 4,054, according to Union Health Ministry data.
The total fatalities were recorded at 5,33,334 (5.33 lakh) with one new death reported from Kerala in the previous 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The country's Covid case tally is currently at 4,50,09,248 (4.50 crore).
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has risen to 4,44,71,860 (4.44 crore) while the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent, according to the health ministry website. (PTI)
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde has tested positive for coronavirus, state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Monday.
There is no need to panic about the viral infection, Pawar told reporters.
"One of my cabinet colleagues, Dhananjay Munde, has tested positive for COVID-19. However, the administration is taking care in the state and necessary instructions to check its spread have been given to officials," he said. (PTI)
The World Health Organization has urged the countries in the Southeast Asia Region to strengthen surveillance and asked people to take protective measures in view of rising cases of respiratory diseases including influenza and Covid sub-variant JN.1, according to a press release.
"The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing and ensure the sharing of data," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said in a statement.
The World Health Organization has urged the countries in the Southeast Asia Region to strengthen surveillance and asked people to take protective measures in view of rising cases of respiratory diseases including influenza and Covid sub-variant JN.1, according to a press release.
"The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing and ensure the sharing of data," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said in a statement. (ANI)
As COVID cases show an upward trend in multiple states, reaching 3742 active patients on Sunday, concerns mount with the highest reported cases in Kerala, where a new variant, JN.1, has emerged.
In the ongoing battle against the evolving coronavirus, Dr Sameer Bhati, a public health expert and director of Star Imaging and Path Lab, sheds light on its changing dynamics.
Despite a relatively lower number of tests in Delhi, cases are closely monitored and genome sequencing is done to identify any emerging variants. (ANI)
Thane city has reported five cases of JN.1 variant of coronavirus out of 20 samples tested since November 30, an official said on Sunday.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the city is 28. While two of them are being treated at hospitals, the rest are recovering at their homes, he said.
"A total of 20 samples were sent for COVID-19 testing since November 30 this year and five of them returned positive for the JN.1 variant," the civic official said. (PTI)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the number of new COVID cases increased by 52 per cent during the past four-odd weeks, with over 850,000 new cases reported during the period. Read here.
A new sub-variant JN.1, is driving the surge in the number of cases of Covid-19 virus in the world including India. The rise in the number of infections has prompted the health authorities to check the preparedness of the health system and issue preventive measures for people in critical age groups. Amid some anxiety over the new variant, the India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora has confirmed that no additional dose of vaccine is needed for the new variant.
"I would say prevention is required for all those who are 60 years of age or older, who are likely to have comorbidities, and those who are on drugs that suppress our immunity, like cancer patients. If they have not taken precautions so far, then they are advised to take precautions; otherwise, there is no need for any additional doses," NK Arora said while speaking with news agency ANI. Read here.
As COVID cases show an upward trend in multiple states, reaching 3742 active patients on Sunday, concerns mount with the highest reported cases in Kerala, where a new variant, JN.1, has emerged.
In the ongoing battle against the evolving coronavirus, Dr Sameer Bhati, a public health expert and director of Star Imaging and Path Lab, sheds light on its changing dynamics.
Despite a relatively lower number of tests in Delhi, cases are closely monitored and genome sequencing is done to identify any emerging variants.
Dr Bhati explains that while the RTPCR test is employed for COVID detection, genome sequencing is done to identify new variants. (ANI)
Thane city has reported five cases of JN.1 variant of coronavirus out of 20 samples tested since November 30, an official said on Sunday.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the city is 28. While two of them are being treated at hospitals, the rest are recovering at their homes, he said.
"A total of 20 samples were sent for COVID-19 testing since November 30 this year and five of them returned positive for the JN.1 variant," the civic official said. (PTI)
The World Health Organization has urged the countries in the Southeast Asia Region to strengthen surveillance and asked people to take protective measures in view of rising cases of respiratory diseases including influenza and Covid sub-variant JN.1, according to a press release.
"The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing and ensure the sharing of data," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said in a statement. (ANI)
Amid the JN.1 scare, Maharashtra on Sunday reported 50 new COVID-19 cases, of which nine cases of the JN.1 variant were reported, bringing the total to 10 new variants in the state.
Out of these 10 cases, five are in Thane, two in Pune and one each in Sindhudurg, Akola and Pune rural districts.
A total of 656 cases of COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 and one death have been reported in the country for the past 24 hours, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI)
Rajasthan has reported 11 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The state has witnessed seven cases in Jaipur and one each in the Alwar, Kota, Dausa and Sawai Madhopur districts, according to an official statement issued by the state health department.
The number of active cases in the state stands at 20, stated the official release.
Meanwhile, a total of 656 cases of COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 and one death have been reported in the country for the past 24 hours, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI)
Thane city has reported five cases of JN.1 variant of coronavirus out of 20 samples tested since November 30, an official said on Sunday.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the city is 28. While two of them are being treated at hospitals, the rest are recovering at their homes, he said.
"A total of 20 samples were sent for COVID-19 testing since November 30 this year and five of them returned positive for the JN.1 variant," the civic official said. (PTI)
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: "It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, and it is gradually becoming a dominant variant. It is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections or hospitalisations. Most of the symptoms are predominantly in the upper airways, like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose and body aches," Dr Guleria said.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The Mizoram government issued an appeal to the residents of the state, urging them to observe COVID-appropriate protocols during the forthcoming Christmas-New Year festivities. This advisory is prompted by a surge in cases of the JN.1 sub-variant in certain regions across the country. While there have been no reported instances of the JN.1 sub-variant in Mizoram, Health Minister Lalrinpuii emphasized the critical significance of every individual adhering to COVID-appropriate behavior, underscoring the need for vigilance despite the absence of confirmed cases in the northeastern state.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: Odisha logged one Covid-19 case in the past 24 hours, a health department official said on Sunday.
"So far two Covid-19 cases have been reported in the state. Both the patients are under home isolation and their health parameters are normal," director of public health Niranjan Mishra told PTI.
Samples of both the patients will be sent to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) for genome sequencing to ascertain the presence of JN1 variant, he said.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: During the 'Sagar Manthan 2.0' event in South Goa, Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik assured citizens and the tourism industry that there is no need for concern regarding the recent surge in COVID-19 cases. He expressed confidence, citing the country's past success in combatting the disease.
"There is no need to panic. We can fight it even if it occurs again. We have fought it in the past," the minister said.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: As the number of COVID cases continues to rise in various states, reaching a total of 3742 active patients on Sunday, apprehensions are growing, particularly with the highest number of reported cases in Kerala. In this scenario, a novel variant named JN.1 has surfaced.
In the relentless fight against the ever-changing nature of the coronavirus, Dr. Sameer Bhati, an expert in public health and the director of Star Imaging and Path Lab, provides insights into the shifting dynamics of the situation.
Despite a comparatively lower volume of tests conducted in Delhi, there is vigilant monitoring of cases, and genomic sequencing is undertaken to detect any emerging variants.
Maharashtra on Sunday reported 50 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections since the beginning of the spread of novel coronavirus to 81,72,135 nearly three years ago, said a daily bulletin by the health department.
Of the fresh cases, nine were caused by JN.1, increasing the number of infections tied to the new sub-variant in the state to 10, it said.
The JN.1 patients include five from Thane city, two from Pune city, and one each from a rural pocket of Pune district, Akola city and Sindhudurg district. One patient from Pune had travelled to the US, the bulletin said. (PTI)
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: India has recorded 22 cases of the COVID-19 JN.1 variant over the past few days. The development came even as the World Health Organization deemed the new strain a ‘Variant of Concern’ and several states held review meetings to assess the situation.
According to an ANI report quoting sources, the country has reported 22 cases till December 21. India reported 594 fresh COVID-19 infections on Thursday - taking the number of active cases from 2,311 the previous day to 2,669. Health Ministry data on Friday morning indicates 2997 active cases — with a surge reported from Kerala. Read More
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The latest wave of COVID-19 cases in Singapore has possibly peaked, and there is no need for additional measures, like wearing a face mask mandate, to be implemented, said Minister for Health (MOH) Ong Ye Kung.
“We might have a slight surge, but I think more or less, we are seeing the peak of this wave," Channel News Asia quoted Ong as saying on Friday at the soft opening of a health campus at Woodlands in northern Singapore. Read More
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: “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 told ANI.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The count of currently active Covid cases in Gurugram district has risen to four, following the identification of two new instances of the infection, as reported by the health department on Saturday. According to District Surveillance Officer Dr. Jai Prakash Rajliwal, a 36-year-old man who recently returned from Indonesia underwent a Covid test due to symptoms like a sore throat, cold, and cough, revealing that he is infected.
Additionally, a 32-year-old woman tested positive for Covid, but the health department could not trace any travel history for her, he further stated.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries in South-East Asia to strengthen surveillance in view of the increasing cases of respiratory diseases, including due to COVID-19 and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza.
The WHO also urged people to take protective measures.
"The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. (PTI)
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: Rajasthan has reported 11 fresh COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. The state has witnessed seven cases in Jaipur and one each in the Alwar, Kota, Dausa and Sawai Madhopur districts, according to an official statement issued by the state health department.
The number of active cases in the state stands at 20, stated the official release.
Meanwhile, a total of 656 cases of COVID-19 subvariant JN.1 and one death have been reported in the country for the past 24 hours, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (ANI)
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In view of rising cases of Covid sub-variant JN.1, the Maharashtra government has ordered health officials to ensure the availability of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment at government hospitals.
In a meeting at Latur on Saturday, Maharashtra minister Sanjay Bansode said that the health department must take precautionary measures and ensure the availability of necessary equipment and medicines at all government-run facilities. Read More
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In response to the emergence of the new COVID sub-variant JN.1, the Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department issued guidelines on Saturday. They urged vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, to wear face masks when they go out and avoid crowded places.
"With the emergence of the JN1 COVID variant, the Odisha government has advised the elderly and those with co-morbidities to wear facemasks while going out and avoid visiting crowded places," the Odisha Health & Family Welfare Department said in a post on 'X'.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: "The COVID-19 virus continues to evolve, change, and circulate in all countries globally. While current evidence suggests the additional public health risk posed by JN.1 is low, we must continue to track the evolution of these viruses to tailor our response. For this, countries must strengthen surveillance and sequencing and ensure the sharing of data," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said in a statement.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: In light of the emergence of the JN.1 Covid variant, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Bansode instructed health officials to ensure the availability of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment at government hospitals.
In a meeting in Latur on Saturday, the minister said the health department must take precautionary measures and ensure the availability of necessary equipment and medicines at all government-run facilities.
Collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge, chief executive officer Anmol Sagar, superintendent of police Somay Munde, municipal commissioner Babasaheb Manohare and other senior officials attended the meeting. (PTI)
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: A total of 656 cases of Covid-19 subvariant JN.1 and one death have been reported in the country for the past 24 hours, according to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the country was recorded at 3742.
Earlier on Saturday, a multifold spurt in fresh COVID cases was noted in India, with Kerala contributing the majority of those.
A total of 423 cases were reported, of which 266 were from Kerala and 70 from neighbouring Karnataka, Union health ministry data showed. (ANI)
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently designated JN.1 as a variant of interest, differentiating it from its parent lineage BA.2.86. Despite its swift dissemination, the global health organization has underscored that the overall risk associated with JN.1 is currently considered low based on available evidence.
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: As COVID cases show an upward trend in multiple states, reaching 3742 active patients on Sunday, concerns mount with the highest reported cases in Kerala, where a new variant, JN.1, has emerged.
In the ongoing battle against the evolving coronavirus, Dr Sameer Bhati, a public health expert and director of Star Imaging and Path Lab, sheds light on its changing dynamics.
Despite a relatively lower number of tests in Delhi, cases are closely monitored and genome sequencing is done to identify any emerging variants.
Dr Bhati explains that while the RTPCR test is employed for COVID detection, genome sequencing is done to identify new variants. (ANI)
Covid subvariant JN.1 LIVE: With new Covid sub-variant JN.1 fueling a sudden infection surge, former AIIMS director and senior pulmonologist, Dr Randeep Guleria noted though the new variant is spreading rapidly, it is not causing severe infections and hospitalisation. On the vaccine situation, he said that since the virus is changing, we need a new jab that ‘covers a broader type of the virus’.
Dr Guleria told news agency ANI, “It is more transmissible, it is spreading more rapidly, and it is gradually becoming a dominant variant. It is causing more infections but the data also suggests that it is not causing severe infections or hospitalisations. Most of the symptoms are predominantly in the upper airways, like fever, cough, cold, sore throat, running nose and body aches." Read More
