Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala reported 300 fresh cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, while six people succumbed to the disease in the last two days.
Besides, there were 292 new cases reported on Wednesday and 115 on Tuesday. With this, the number of active cases in the state rose to 2,341.

With the latest death reported in the state, the total number of people who have died due to coronavirus in Kerala since its outbreak three years ago reached 72,060.

The number of people who were cured, discharged, or migrated in the last 24 hours after being diagnosed with the infection stood at 275. With that, the total number of cases under this category rose to 68,37,689 till date.

The Kerala government estimated a significant surge in fresh cases up to 3,000, within a month in the state, where the new variant JN.1 was also first detected.

On Thursday, 211 people tested negative and till now, only a 79-year-old woman has been confirmed to have been infected by JN.1 in Kerala, said the state health department.

Health Minister Veena George on Tuesday reassured people that despite the rise in Covid-19 cases in Kerala, there is no cause for alarm. The hospitals are adequately equipped to manage virus infections, she said.

JN.1 detected in Rajasthan
A total of 358 COVID cases were reported in the country on Thursday. Rajasthan confirmed the presence of the JN.1 subvariant of COVID-19 in the state, after Kerala, Goa, and Maharashtra. It also reported four new COVID cases.

In Maharashtra, JN.1 was confirmed in a 41-year-old man in Sindhudurg, Konkan region.

Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandavya said that there is no cause for alarm, and the number of COVID cases had increased in winter in previous years as well. 18 States of India are still untouched, reporting not even a single case of COVID.

According to the Union Ministry of Health, 23 people died due to COVID in the country in the past 20 days, and among them, some people had contracted JN.1.

Spread in Saudi
A new variant of COVID-19 is reportedly spreading rapidly in Saudi Arabia. However, authorities said that the situation is under control and there is no cause for alarm. The Saudi Health Department also advised people to take necessary precautions including vaccination.