The country has reported 1,226 cases of the Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1, with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh recording the highest numbers, according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) on Thursday. Data compiled by INSACOG reveals that 17 states and Union Territories have identified the presence of this variant.
Karnataka leads in reporting the JN.1 sub-variant with 234 cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh (189), Maharashtra (170), Kerala (156), West Bengal (96), Goa (90), Tamil Nadu (88), Gujarat (76), Rajasthan (37), Telangana (32), Chhattisgarh (25), Delhi (16), Uttar Pradesh (7), Haryana (5), Odisha (3), and Uttarakhand and Nagaland with one case each, according to PTI reports.
Covid-19 updates: India registered a single-day increase of 305 new cases, while the number of active cases has decreased to 2,439, as per the health ministry. The country reported three deaths in the last 24 hours, one each from Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Gujarat.
With a rise in Covid cases and the identification of the JN.1 sub-variant, the Centre has urged states and Union Territories to maintain constant vigilance. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has shared an updated Covid surveillance strategy, emphasizing effective implementation through comprehensive operational guidelines. States are instructed to regularly monitor and report district-wise instances of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza-like sickness (ILI) from all medical facilities to detect increasing trends early.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a "variant of interest" (VOI) due to its rapid spread. However, it poses a "low" global public health risk, according to WHO. Previously part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the JN.1 sub-variant is now considered a VOI, along with the parent lineage.