India on Tuesday logged forty new cases of JN.1 COVID variant, taking the total tally of new variants to 109 till 26th December in the country.  Thirty-six cases were detected from Gujarat, 34 from Karnataka, 14 from Goa, nine from Maharashtra, six from Kerala, four each from Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, and two from Telangana, they said. Most of the patients are currently in home isolation, as per officials. 

India saw a single-day rise of 529 cases of COVID-19, while the number of active cases of the infection was recorded at 4,093, the health ministry said on Wednesday. Three new fatalities -- two from Karnataka and one from Gujarat were reported in the last 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but infections have again gone up after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. The JN.1 (BA.2.86.1.1), emerged in August 2023 in Luxembourg and is descendant of the BA.2.86 lineage (Pirola) of SARS COV2.

The Centre has issued an alert and advised all the state health ministries to ensure effective compliance with operational guidelines for the revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19 shared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The central government asked states to monitor and report district-wise cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in all health facilities regularly for early detection of the rising trend of cases.

NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said last week that the new variant was being closely investigated but he stressed on the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance systems.

Earlier, the Karnataka state health ministry said that there are 34 cases of the JN.1 variant of COVID-19 in the state but the government is well prepared and nothing is "alarming." It advised that hospital beds and ventilators are to be kept ready. "Persons working in Govt. and Non Govt. establishments shall avail Home Isolation leave for 7 days when tested Covid 19 positive," a release said.