(Image source from: Sakshi.com)

India reports 761 new Covid-19 cases:- In the last 24 hours, India saw a rise of 761 new cases of Covid-19 and 12 deaths, as reported by the Union Health Ministry on Friday. The active caseload decreased from 4,423 to 4,334 during this time. Among the reported deaths, Kerala accounted for five, Karnataka for four, Maharashtra for two, and Uttar Pradesh for one, resulting in a total death toll of 5,33,385.

The ministry also stated that 838 individuals recovered from the virus in the past day, bringing the total number of recoveries to 4,44,78,885. The national recovery rate stands at 98.81%, while the fatality rate is at 1.18%. Since the outbreak began in January 2020, India has recorded a total of 4,50,16,604 cases. Yesterday, there were 760 new cases and two deaths, while the day before saw 602 fresh infections and five deaths.

This increase in cases follows a period of comparatively low infection rates, with daily cases dropping to double digits until December 5 last year. The emergence of the JN strain of the coronavirus may have contributed to this recent surge. In recent times, there has been a notable surge in the number of cases. According to official sources, a total of 511 instances of JN.1 infections have been reported in the nation so far, with the highest number recorded in Karnataka.

The breakdown of cases includes 199 in Karnataka, 148 in Kerala, 47 in Goa, 36 in Gujarat, 32 in Maharashtra, 26 in Tamil Nadu, 15 in Delhi, four in Rajasthan, two in Telangana, and one each in Odisha and Haryana. Recognizing its rapidly increasing spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a distinct "variant of interest." However, the organization has stated that it poses a "low" risk to global public health. Previously, JN.1 was categorized as a variant of interest (VOI) within the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, which is the parent lineage classified as a VOI, as per the WHO.

In light of the rise in Covid-19 cases and the identification of the JN.1 sub-variant in the country, the central government has urged states and Union territories to remain vigilant. It has directed them to closely monitor and report cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) on a district-wise basis in all healthcare facilities.