Covid cases rise to 1,009 in India; ICMR says no severe symptoms detected

New Delhi: India reported 752 new COVID-19 cases recently, taking the total number of active infections to 1,009 on Monday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said that the recent surge is linked to four Omicron subvariants — LF.7, XFG, JN.1, and NB.1.8.1 — which so far have only caused mild illness.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, Director General of ICMR, said investigations are underway to understand the reason behind the increase. “The four variants identified are subvariants of Omicron. Further sample testing is in progress,” he said, adding that the government is keeping a close watch on the situation.

Of the identified strains, LF.7 and NB.1.8 have been placed by the World Health Organisation under the “Variants Under Monitoring” category, which does not classify them as Variants of Concern or Interest.

While urging people not to panic, Dr Bahl advised caution for those with low immunity or underlying health conditions. “We have the capability to develop new vaccines if required. The effectiveness of current vaccines will also be assessed against any emerging variant,” he added.

Kerala has the highest number of active cases at 430, followed by Delhi with 104, as per official data. Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh said the symptoms observed so far are limited to viral fever and that there is no cause for public concern at this time.