A day after reporting a decrease in corona cases, the infections are once again on rise with the country recording 602 new infections in the last 24 hours as per the Government data while five new fatalities were also registered in the same span. Kerala saw two deaths, while Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Punjab reported one death each.

On Tuesday, India had reported 573 new cases of COVID-19 and two additional fatalities related to the virus occurred, with one each in Karnataka and Haryana.

As of the latest update from INSACOG, the country has reported a total of 312 cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1. The uptick in the mutant variant comes amid health authorities in the United Kingdom identifying new symptoms associated with the latest Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1, including anxiety and sleep disturbances.

JN.1, which belongs to the Omicron lineage, was initially detected in August and has since spread to more than 40 countries including India. Of 312 cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 in India, nearly 47% of these cases are concentrated in Kerala. The presence of the JN.1 sub-variant has been identified in ten states and Union territories.

The states reporting JN.1 cases include Kerala (147), Goa (51), Gujarat (34), Maharashtra (26), Tamil Nadu (22), Delhi (16), Karnataka (eight), Rajasthan (five), Telangana (two), and Odisha (one), as per data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

In December, INSACOG’s data indicates that 279 Covid cases in the country were linked to the JN.1 sub-variant, while 33 cases were detected in November. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated JN.1 as a “variant of interest” due to its rapid spread, although it is considered to pose a “low” global public health risk.

Given the rise in Covid cases and the detection of the JN.1 sub-variant, the Centre has urged states and Union territories to remain vigilant. Ensuring effective pandemic preparedness and disease surveillance, deeply rooted in robust health systems accessible to all individuals, is of paramount importance for enhanced protection against significant disease outbreaks, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said recently after virtually inaugurating the NCDC regional branch in Assam, along with six state branches in Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal, and Mizoram. Additionally, he inaugurated BSL-3 labs in Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand, all conducted virtually from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Covid-19 cases being reported recently are mild infections and that there was no reason to worry, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, adding that the situation in Delhi is still under control and there was no huge rise in cases

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Government has started administering Covid vaccines in district hospitals starting Wednesday. Those aged above 60 and suffering from comorbidities and those who have not taken the precautionary dose yet can avail this facility. Dr K Ravi, chairman of the Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in Karnataka said that vaccination is advised for those who have not taken the precautionary dose. “Preference should be given to the elderly and those with comorbidities. Individuals already vaccinated with three doses need not take the vaccination.,” he said.