New Delhi, Dec 28: India registered 692 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, with the total active caseload increasing by four to reach 4,097, according to data from the Union Health Ministry.
Official figures indicate six deaths in the country in the last 24 hours, with two reported in Maharashtra and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, and West Bengal. The total count of coronavirus cases in India since January 2020 has now reached 4,50,10,944, reflecting an increase of 702 cases in the last 24 hours. The total death toll due to COVID-19 cases in India stands at 5,33,346, with six new deaths reported in the last 24 hours.
On Wednesday, Delhi reported its first case of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj announced, “Delhi reports the first case of JN.1, a Sub-Variant of Omicron. Out of the three samples sent for Genome Sequencing, one is JN.1, and two are Omicron.”
The JN.1 sub-variant is a descendant of the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.86 or Pirola, and the first case was initially reported in Kerala. Health Ministry sources have detected 109 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant in India until Wednesday. However, the World Health Organisation emphasized that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has issued guidelines for COVID-19 suspected or positive cases amid a sudden surge in cases. The AIIMS Delhi director conducted a meeting with all heads of departments, discussing policies on COVID-19 testing, designated areas for positive patients, and hospitalization protocols.
