Covid-19 India: India on Saturday recorded a single-day spike of 774 fresh Covid-19 cases, while the number of active cases stands at 4,187, according to Union health ministry data on Saturday, as reported by news agency PTI. At least two deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours. There has been a slight increase in the number of cases since Friday, when India recorded 761 cases of the virus.
According to PTI, two deaths, one each from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, were reported, according to the ministry’s data updated at 8 am.
The number of daily cases began to rise significantly amid cold weather conditions and after the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant, JN.1. Of the 4,187 active cases, the majority (over 92 per cent) are recovering under home isolation. “The currently available data suggests that the JN.1 variant is neither leading to an exponential rise in the new cases nor a surge in hospitalisation and mortality,” PTI reported, citing an official source.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that he has directed health officials to make Covid test mandatory for those with influenza-like illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI). The minister also stated that a Covid helpline will be launched.
“More than 7,000 tests are being done everyday and the Covid positivity rate is 3.82 percent. The positivity rate in the state has not come down yet,” the minister said in a statement after a meeting with health department officials, as quoted by PTI.
The Karnataka Health Minister also highlighted that Kerala has started seeing a downward trend in Covid cases. He said that he has asked officials to keep a close watch on those who are Covid positive, PTI reported. Rao stated that he has asked officials to compulsorily carry out Covid screening among those adults showing symptoms of ILI and SARI.
