India Reports Surge in COVID-19 Cases with New Sub-Variant Concerns

India witnessed a concerning surge in COVID-19 infections, recording 752 new cases in a single day, the highest since May 21. Active cases have breached the 3,000-mark, reaching 3,420, according to the Union Health Ministry. This spike coincides with worries about the emergence of sub-variant JN.1.

Over the past 24 hours, the country reported four new fatalities—two in Kerala and one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka—raising the death toll to 5,33,332. The case fatality rate stands at 1.18 percent, while India's total COVID-19 cases have reached 4.50 crore (4,50,07,964).

Health Ministry data updated at 8 am today reveals that 17 states are witnessing a rise in active COVID-19 cases, with Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat among the affected states. Meanwhile, 325 individuals recovered from COVID-19 in the same period, bringing the total recoveries to 4,44,71,212, with a national recovery rate of 98.81 percent.

The Bihar government has instructed districts and hospitals to increase COVID-19 RT-PCR testing, particularly at airports. While the central government reassures citizens that the current spike isn't a cause for panic, it advises individuals with comorbidities to wear face masks as a precaution.

As of December 21, India has reported 22 cases of the sub-variant JN.1, stemming from the Omicron lineage. It's categorized as a 'variant of interest' by the World Health Organization and has become one of the fastest-spreading viruses in recent weeks. Fortunately, no severe clustering of cases has been observed, and all known cases have been mild with full recoveries.