Karnataka witnessed a surge in Covid-19 cases with 125 fresh infections and three additional deaths reported in the last 24 hours, as per the latest Health department bulletin. The state's total active cases now stand at 436, with 400 individuals in home isolation and 36 hospitalised, news agency PTI reported. In the same period, 30 patients have successfully recovered and have been discharged.


The Health Department conducted a total of 3,155 tests, comprising 2,072 RT-PCR and 1,083 Rapid Antigen tests, resulting in a positivity rate of 3.96 percent. The case fatality rate remains at 2.4 percent, as per PTI.


The three new Covid-19-related fatalities occurred in Dakshina Kannada on December 22, Hassan on December 23, and Dakshina Kannada again on December 24. All three patients had complained of breathlessness.


34 Cases of Covid-19 Variant JN.1 In Karnataka


Adding to the Covid-19 challenges, Karnataka has identified 34 cases of the JN.1 variant, including three fatalities, according to a statement from the Karnataka Department of Health & Family Welfare Services, PTI reported. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had earlier mentioned that about 35 cases of JN.1 were detected but emphasised the need for detailed information from the department.


Out of the 34 JN.1 variant cases, Bengaluru city alone accounts for 20 cases. Testing for the newly reported Omicron variant, JN.1, was conducted at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, PTI's report mentioned.


The department mentioned that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, currently classify JN.1 as a Variant of Interest (VoI) and not a Variant of Concern (VoC). As a result, the imposition of restrictions and unnecessary panic among the public is not advised.


The release further mentioned that genome sequencing results of 60 samples are available to date, out of the 192 samples submitted. Results for the remaining positive cases are expected by Wednesday.


As Karnataka grapples with the evolving situation, health authorities emphasised the importance of continued surveillance, adherence to safety protocols, and swift action to curb the spread of the virus.


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