1 death reported as fresh Covid cases rise by 328, active tally nears 3,000

India reported one death as fresh cases rose by 328, taking the number of active cases in the country to 2,997, according to data updated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare till Friday morning.

Kerala reported 265 new cases, taking the state’s total active caseload to 2,606. According to ministry figures, Bihar and Chhattisgarh reported their first new case, with 16 states and union territories showing zero active cases. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu crossed the 100 active cases mark for the first time since February.

22 cases of the new JN.1 Covid sub-variant have been detected by INSACOG till Friday. Of these, 21 cases are being reported from Goa, while one has been found in Kerala.

Speaking on the new sub-variant, V K Paul, Member (Health) at NITI Aayog, said that the scientific community in India is closely investigating the new variant, stressing the need for states to ramp up testing and strengthen their surveillance systems.