Delhi Reports First Case Of JN.1 Coronavirus Variant, Hospitals On Alert

On Wednesday, the capital city of Delhi reported its first case of JN.1 coronavirus sub-variant, confirmed by Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. The case came to light hours after authorities sent multiple samples for genome sequencing from the samples collected in the last 24 hours. Apart from reporting the first JN.1 case, the city also reported 9 new fresh cases of COVID-19. This takes the total count of active cases to 35.

According to the data shared by the Health Ministry, India recorded as many as 529 fresh COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours, and the country's active case count stood at 4,093. Three new cases - two from Karnataka and one from Gujarat - were reported in a span of 24 hours.

A total of 40 cases of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 were reported in India in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally of the new variant to 109. Thirty-six cases were detected from Gujarat, 34 from Karnataka, 14 from Goa, nine from Maharashtra, six from Kerala, four each from Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, and two from Telangana, according to official sources.

Despite a significant surge in Covid cases over the past few weeks, authorities believe that there is no cause for immediate concern as 92 per cent of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, posing a mild illness with mild symptoms. However, the Centre has asked all states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure effective compliance with operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for Covid-19.