Covid Updates: 752 New Cases, 4 Deaths in 24 Hrs; Bihar to Increase RT-PCR Testing at 3 Key Airports

India recorded 752 fresh Covid-19 infections and 4 related deaths in the last 24 hours increasing the tally of active cases to 2,997, according to the latest data shared by the Union Health Ministry.

The death toll was recorded at 5,33,332 with four new deaths, two from Kerala, one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka in 24 hours, according to the data updated at 8:00 am.

According to a TOI report, top officials in the Union Health Ministry said the government has no plans to issue any travel advisory or make testing mandatory at airports at this point.

Meanwhile, a total of 22 cases of the new JN.1 variant, which has caused a recent spike in Covid-19 cases across the world, have been detected in the country till December 21, official sources said.

However, officials said there have been no reports of clustering of cases till now, and all the cases of the JN.1 subvariant have mild symptoms.

ALSO READ: Amid Rising Cases Of Jn.1 Covid Variant In India, A Look At Its Symptoms

Here are the latest updates on the Covid situation in India-

• Amidst the detection of a fresh Covid cases in the state and the spread of JN.1 variant in some parts of southern India, the Odisha government advised elderly persons and those with comorbidities to wear masks.
• The Mizoram government requested people of the state to adhere to COVID-appropriate behaviour during the upcoming Christmas-New Year festive season in view of an increase in JN.1 sub-variant cases in some parts of the country. However, health minister Lalrinpuii also said that  no case of the JN.1 sub-variant has been reported in the northeastern state as of now.
• A health official from Jharkhand have confirmed that the state is prepared to deal with any spike in COVID-19 cases. He also said that the situation is presently under control. No fresh coronavirus cases have been reported in the state since December 18, when two infections were detected in a Jamshedpur hospital, the official added.
• On the latest JN.1 variant, Dr. Randeep Guleria, chairman of the Institute of Internal Medicine & Respiratory and Sleep Medicine and Director Medical Education at Medanta said that the new COVID variant is emerging as the dominant variant and is spreading because it is more transmissible and has an immune-escape mechanism. He further said, “The good thing is that cases have increased but there is no increase in hospital admissions or deaths. So, it is a mild variant.”
• Bihar government has directed all districts and hospitals in the state to increase COVID-19 RT-PCR testing with random testing of arrivals at Patna, Gaya and Darbhanga airports.
• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar chaired a high-level meeting on Friday in view of the recent hike in COVID-19 cases in the country.  Two cases of the JN.1 variant have been detected in the state so far, said Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Pratyay Amrit.
• Rajasthan Health Department formed a state-level team for the prevention and control of COVID-19. Six new cases and one death were reported in the state on Friday.
• A Jodhpur student has tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from Australia.
• The Karnataka government has also formed a cabinet sub-committee to monitor the COVID-19 situation in the state.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on Friday on the Covid situation and assured that there was no need to worry about the JN.1 strain.
• “Alert the village and ward secretariat system, and the village clinic system for preventive steps. Village clinic staff should be made aware of the steps that need to be taken against the new variant,” CM Reddy said in an official press release.
• “A total of 22 JN.1 COVID variant cases have been reported in India till December 21. No clustering of COVID-19 reported so far, all cases have mild symptoms,” ANI quoted official sources as saying.
• The Centre on Friday directed states to send samples of all Covid positive tests to carry out whole genome sequencing to identify the set of mutations.