Covid-19: India records six deaths, 702 new cases in 24 hours

India saw a single-day rise of 702 cases of COVID-19, with the number of active cases of the infection rising to 4,097, the health ministry said on Thursday.

According to the official data, six deaths have been reported in the country in the last 24 hours: two in Maharashtra, and one each in Delhi, Karnataka, West Bengal and Kerala.

With this, the total count of coronavirus cases in India since the virus first emerged in January 2020 has climbed to 4,50,10,944.


The total death toll due to COVID-19 cases in India has risen to 5,33,346, reflecting an increase of six deaths in the last 24 hours.

Delhi on Wednesday reported its first case of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1.

"Delhi reports the first case of JN.1, a Sub-Variant of Omicron. Out of the three samples sent for Genome Sequencing, one is JN.1, and two are Omicron," said Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj.

The JN.1 sub-variant is a descendant of the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2.86 or Pirola. The first case of the JN.1 variant of COVID-19 was reported in Kerala.

According to sources from the Health Ministry, India has identified 109 cases of the JN.1 sub-variant as of Wednesday. Nevertheless, the World Health Organization has stressed that the overall threat posed by JN.1 remains minimal, considering the current evidence available.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has issued guidelines for COVID-19 suspected or positive cases that will be reported at hospitals following the sudden surge in the cases of Coronavirus in the country.

The director of AIIMS Delhi conducted a meeting with the heads of all hospital departments to address contingency measures related to COVID-19. The discussions in the meeting focussed on policies regarding COVID-19 testing, the allocation of specific areas for positive patients, and protocols for their hospitalization.

(With ANI inputs)