The Union Health Ministry announced on Tuesday that India recorded 475 new Covid-19 cases and six deaths in the past 24 hours.
Fatalities and Active Cases
The six new fatalities were reported from Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Assam. On Monday, four deaths were reported, originating from Kerala, Karnataka, and Tripura. Meanwhile, the total number of active cases decreased to 3,919 from Monday’s 4,002.
Total Cases and Deaths
India’s total coronavirus cases since the initial outbreak in January 2020 have reached 4,50,19,214, with the overall death toll rising to 5,33,402.
Emergence of JN.1 Subvariant
The new JN.1 sub-variant is a descendant of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.86 or Pirola, with Kerala being the first state to report a case. Notably, the JN.1 subvariant has quickly become the dominant variant in Maharashtra. Recent genetic studies revealed that nearly all cases in the state are attributed to the JN.1 subvariant. Out of 21 samples from the city subjected to genetic sequencing, all were positive for the JN.1 subvariant, bringing the total count of JN.1 cases in Maharashtra to 249.
Spread Across States
A total of 682 JN.1 variant cases have been reported from 12 states across the country. Apart from Kerala and Karnataka, other affected states include Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Odisha, and Haryana, according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG). INSACOG’s data revealed 239 Covid cases in December 2023 and 24 in November 2023, identified with the presence of the JN.1 variant.
Recovery Rate and Vaccination
India’s overall recovery from Covid has surpassed 4.4 crore individuals, reflecting a national recovery rate of 98.81 percent. The country has administered a total of 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines, as per available data.
Ben Müller
Clara Cardoso
