Thiruvananthapuram/ New Delhi: Kerala recorded a decline in COVID-19 infections following a recent surge attributed to the detection of the new JN.1 sub-variant.

Two weeks ago, the test positivity rate stood at 26 per cent, but as of yesterday, it has decreased to 12 per cent.
While the state had been reporting over 300 cases in recent days, the daily count dropped to 140 cases yesterday.

India's active COVID-19 cases register record increase
At the same time, the number of COVID-19 cases in the country is increasing at a record pace. According to the Central Health Ministry, India recorded 841 new cases of COVID-19 on January 1, and the number of active cases of infection has increased to 4,394. This is the highest daily figure in 227 days. 

Meanwhile, a total of 196 cases of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1 have been detected in the country so far with Odisha joining the list of states that have detected the presence of the variant, according to the INSACOG's -- a forum set up under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by the Government of India -- data updated on Monday.

Ten states and Union territories have so far detected the presence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus. These states are Kerala (83), Goa (51), Gujarat (34), Karnataka (eight), Maharashtra (seven), Rajasthan (five), Tamil Nadu (four), Telangana (two) Odisha (one) and Delhi (one), said the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).

The INSACOG's data showed 179 Covid cases recorded in the country in December had the presence of JN.1, while 17 such cases were detected in November. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified JN.1 as a separate "variant of interest" given its rapidly increasing spread but said it poses a "low" global public health risk.
(With PTI inputs)