One new case of COVID-19's XBB 1.5 strain, which was responsible for the increase of cases in the United States, was discovered in India, bringing the total number of such cases in the nation to eight, according to INSACOG data, news agency PTI reported.


The strain was discovered in Uttarakhand in the previous 24 hours, after three cases were discovered in Gujarat and one each in Karnataka, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, according to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).


The Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants, is related to the XBB.1.5 strain. In the United States, XBB and XBB.1.5 account for 44% of all instances. The INSACOG data also revealed the discovery of nine instances of the BF.7 strain, which appears to be driving China's coronavirus wave.


Omicron sub-variant BF.7 has been documented in four instances in West Bengal, two each in Gujarat and Haryana, and one in Odisha.


INSACOG reports SARS-CoV-2 genomic monitoring across the country using sequencing of samples from sentinel locations and overseas travellers arriving in India.


India Covid Tally


The Union Health Ministry reported 170 new coronavirus infections in India in the previous 24 hours in an update on Monday. The country's active caseload has dropped to 2,371, with a total of 4,46,80,094 documented cases since the pandemic began in 2020, and a death toll of 530,721.


According to the health ministry, active cases account for 0.01% of all infections, and the recovery rate has grown to 98.80%.


Karnataka now has 223 active cases, Kerala 1,369 active cases, Maharashtra 125, Odisha 91 cases, Rajasthan 68 active cases, Tamil Nadu 65 active cases, Uttar Pradesh 26 active cases, and West Bengal 56 active cases.


In the previous 24 hours, the country conducted 85,282 tests. So far, more than 220.14 crore vaccine doses have been provided to individuals across the country as part of the covid immunisation effort. 10,336 vaccination doses were administered in the previous 24 hours.