India on Sunday recorded 656 fresh Covid-19 cases and 4 related deaths in the last 24 hours. This has increased the tally of active cases in the country to 3,742, according to the latest data updated by the Union Health Ministry.
The death toll was recorded at 5,33,333, with one new death from Kerala, according to the data updated at 8:00 am.
Meanwhile, India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) chief Dr NK Arora has stated that no additional vaccine dose is currently needed to protect against the JN.1 subvariant, despite the increase in Covid-19 cases in India.
Arora spoke to the news agency, ANI that they have identified a large number of subvariants, over 400 subvariants, or mutations of the virus, and none of them have been associated with more severe disease or hospitalisation.
According to a Times Of India report, top officials in the Union Health Ministry said the government has no plans to issue any travel advisory or make testing mandatory at airports at this point.
However, officials said there have been no reports of clustering of cases till now, and all the cases of the JN.1 subvariant have mild symptoms.
LATEST UPDATES ON COVID SITUATION IN INDIA:
- Union Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Naik on Sunday said citizens and the tourism industry need not worry about the latest wave of Covid-19, as the country has fought the disease in the past.
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries in South-East Asia to strengthen surveillance in view of the increasing cases of respiratory diseases, including due to Covid-19 and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza.
- The regional director of the Organisation also emphasised on the importance of vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza, especially for people at high risk.
- In light of the emergence of the JN.1 Covid variant, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Bansode instructed health officials to ensure the availability of ventilators, oxygen cylinders and other necessary equipment at government hospitals.
- Maharashtra on Sunday reported 50 new Covid-19 cases from which nine were caused by JN.1. This has increased the number of infections tied to the new sub-variant in the state to 10.
- Kerala reported 128 fresh Covid-19 infections and one death due to the disease in the last 24 hours, according to data on the Union Health Ministry website on Sunday. Of the 334 active coronavirus infections reported nationwide till 8 am today, 128 were from Kerala`.
- Odisha logged one Covid-19 case in the past 24 hours, a health department official said on Sunday. The patients are under home isolation and their health parameters are normal, said director of public health Niranjan Mishra.
- The Mizoram government has requested people of the state to adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour during the upcoming Christmas-New Year festive season in view of an increase in JN.1 sub-variant cases in some parts of the country. However, Health Minister Lalrinpuii also said that no case of the JN.1 sub-variant has been reported in the northeastern state as of now.
- Bihar government has directed all districts and hospitals in the state to increase Covid-19 RT-PCR testing with random testing of arrivals at Patna, Gaya and Darbhanga airports.
(with PTI inputs)
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