A total of 619 cases of the COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 were reported from 12 States until January 4, official sources said on Friday.
They said 199 cases have been reported from Karnataka, 148 from Kerala, 110 from Maharashtra, 47 from Goa, 36 from Gujarat, 30 from Andhra Pradesh, 26 from Tamil Nadu, 15 from Delhi, 4 from Rajasthan 2 from Telangana and one each from Odisha and Haryana.
Even though the number of cases is rising, there is no cause for concern at this point as the majority of infected patients are choosing to be treated at home, indicating the illness is mild, officials said.
The Centre has already asked States and Union territories to maintain a constant vigil amid an uptick in the number of Covid cases and detection of the JN.1 sub-variant
States have been told 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.
They have been asked to monitor and report district-wise cases of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness in all health facilities regularly for early detection of a rising trend in cases.
The WHO has classified JN.1 as a separate "variant of interest" given its rapid spread, but said it poses a "low" global public health risk.
The JN.1 sub-variant of the coronavirus was previously classified as a variant of interest (VOI) as part of the BA.2.86 sub-lineages, the parent lineage that is classified as a VOI, the world body said.
