India recorded 614 new coronavirus cases, as per the data of Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The cases are highest single-day spike since May 21, when the country logged 756 cases. According to the data, the active cases increased to 2,311 and the death toll was recorded at 5,33,321 with three deaths reported from Kerala in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.
As of now, the country’s present Covid-19 infections tally is 4.50 crore (4,50,05,978). Meanwhile, as per the Health Ministry data, 4,44,70,346 people have recuperated from the disease and the national recovery rate stands at 98.81 per cent. The fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent.
The ministry stated that 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in the country so far.
COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 is the latest in the list of variants that are spreading and is responsible for the recent surge in cases not only in India, but also in the United States, and Singapore among other places. Amid the scare, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya has asked hospitals in the country to be prepared. He also asked to step up surveillance and communication with people during a high-level meeting to review the situation of coronavirus in the country.
Union Health Minister Dr @mansukhmandviya virtually chaired a high level meeting with health Ministers of various states to access the current status and preparedness on COVID 19.
MoS (Health) Prof @spsinghbaghelpr and @DrBharatippawar, Health Minister of Uttarakhand Shri… pic.twitter.com/uigH7V8S4a
— Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) December 20, 2023
“It is time to work together with a ‘Whole of Government’ approach, through closely working with each other. We need to be on the alert, but there is no need to panic,” he said. The meeting comes after the World Health Organisation classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “variant of interest” amid a surge in cases.
In the last 24 hours in Kerala, 292 new coronavirus cases and three deaths related to the infection were reported. As per the information available on the Union Health Ministry website on Wednesday, the current active cases in the state have risen to 2,041. In the preceding 24-hour period until 8 AM on Tuesday, India reported a total of 341 coronavirus cases.
The reported deaths in the state have brought the cumulative number of COVID-related fatalities in Kerala to 72,056 since the outbreak three years ago.
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