Kerala records 265 fresh Covid-19 cases with one death; 80% of India's active cases now
India reported 640 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, with active cases rising from 2,669 to 2,997, as per data released by the Union health ministry.
Kerala registered 265 fresh Covid-19 cases and one death in the past 24 hours, according to the ministry of health and family welfare data on Friday. The reported death brought the state's total coronavirus-related fatalities over the past three years to 72,060. The state presently represents over 80% of the total active Covid cases in the country.
Within the last 24 hours, 275 people recovered or were discharged after testing positive, increasing the cumulative count of recoveries to 68,37,689. In the preceding update on Thursday, the state recorded 300 new COVID-19 cases and three fatalities.
State health minister Veena George chaired a gathering of senior health officials on Tuesday, emphasising the importance of vigilance over instilling fear and alarm during the increase in Covid cases. During the meeting, a decision was made to enforce compulsory mask-wearing across all state hospitals. Priority focus will be directed towards Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam districts, where the majority of recent cases are being reported.
She said hospitals are well-equipped to manage virus infections, alleviating concerns among the public.
India records 640 fresh cases in 24 hrs
India reported 640 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, with active cases rising from 2,669 to 2,997, as per data released by the Union health ministry. The nation's total Covid-19 count stands more than 4.50 crore. The death toll reached 5,33,328, recording an additional fatality in Kerala, according to the 8 am update.
Recoveries have surged to 4,44,70,887, contributing to a national recovery rate of 98.81%, as indicated on the health ministry's website. The case fatality rate remains at 1.19%. The health ministry's data shows that 220.67 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered across the country to date.
Covid new variant JN. 1
India has confirmed 26 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant, sparking increased attention and concern. Among these cases, Goa reported 19, Rajasthan identified four, while Kerala, Delhi, and Maharashtra each reported one case. In Goa, all 19 instances of the JN.1 sub-variant have been confirmed as inactive, discovered through genome sequencing of patient samples.
Derived from the BA.2.86 variant, known as Pirola, the JN.1 subvariant emerged in the United States in September and gained global attention as early as January this year. India's initial case of JN.1 was identified in Kerala on December 8.
Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the National Indian Medical Association Covid Task Force, highlighted that the JN.1 variant exhibits a potential for faster transmission and immune evasion.
Presently, there's no evidence suggesting that the JN.1 subvariant causes more severe symptoms or spreads more rapidly than the existing circulating variants.