India sees single-day rise of 529 Covid cases

NEW DELHI — India recorded 529 fresh COVID-19 cases in a single day, while the country's active infection count stood at 4,093, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

Three new fatalities -- two from Karnataka and one from Gujarat -- were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but infections have again gone up after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions.

The daily numbers were in lakhs at the peak of the pandemic, which began in early 2020 and has seen more than 4.5 crore people getting infected and over 5.3 lakh deaths in about four years since then across the country.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at more than 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry's website.

The case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent.

According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered in the country.

Cases of Covid sub-variant JN.1 rises to 109

Forty more cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 were recorded, with the tally of cases of the new variant across the country till December 26 rising to 109, official sources said on Wednesday.

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, they said. Most of the patients are currently in home isolation, they added.

NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul had said last week that the new variant was being closely investigated but he stressed on the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance systems.

Even though the number of cases is rising and the JN.1 sub-variant has been detected in the country, there is no cause of immediate concern as 92 per cent of those infected are opting for home-based treatment, indicating a mild illness, officials have said.

There is also no increase in hospitalisation rates and COVID-19 is an incidental finding in those hospitalised due to other medical conditions, they said.

Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant last week had written to states and Union territories calling for requisite public health measures to be put in place and underlined the critical COVID-19 control and management strategies considering the ongoing festive season.

States have been urged to ensure effective compliance of operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19 shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.