COVID INDIA CASES: Country Logs 752 New Cases, More than Double of Yesterday’s

India has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in seven months, recording 752 new infections in the last 24 hours, more than double the cases reported yesterday. This surge includes four related deaths, marking an alarming escalation from one death reported the previous day.

On Friday, the country added 328 cases and one death, with Kerala alone contributing 265 cases. The active cases today stand at 3,420, a significant increase from yesterday's figure of 2,997, as per the health ministry dashboard. A new variant, JN.1, which is driving the latest surge has raised concerns among authorities. Goa has reported 21 cases of this variant, and one case has been identified in Kerala.

-          India reports 752 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours

-          This is the highest since May 21, 2023

-          Active cases increased to 3,420

-          Overall Covid case tally at 4.50 cr

-          Death toll at 5,33,332 with four new deaths

-          2 from Kerala, 1 each in Rajasthan, Karnataka -- reported in 24 hours

-          National recovery rate at 98.81 per cent

-          Fatality rate at 1.19 percent.

Kerala, which has been a major contributor to recent cases, reported 565 new COVID cases in the last 24 hours, with active cases at 2,872. Noida reported its first COVID case in months, with a 54-year-old resident working in Gurugram testing positive. The emergence of the JN.1 sub-variant has prompted the Union government to direct states to send samples for whole genome sequencing.

The rise in cases isn't limited to specific regions. Several states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Puducherry, Gujarat, Telangana, Punjab, and Delhi, have witnessed a slight increase.

To counter the surge, states have enhanced their preparedness, introducing individual surveillance guidelines. While nearly 93% of those infected show mild symptoms and isolate at home, government data reveals that only 0.1% are on ventilator support, 1.2% in the ICU, and 0.6% on oxygen support.

While the JN.1 variant is classified as a Variant of Interest (VOI), the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes there's no evidence it poses an increased risk relative to other circulating variants. The WHO also reassures that current vaccines are effective in preventing severe disease and death.