A recent surge in Covid-19 cases in India has led to six deaths and 702 new infections reported across the country as of Thursday, local media reports said citing the latest figures from the Indian health ministry

With this, the country’s active caseload stands at 4,097 amid growing concerns about the new JN.1 Covid variant, which was first reported in New Delhi on Wednesday, the city’s Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj was quoted as saying by India Today.

Two of the deaths were reported in Maharashtra, and one each in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and New Delhi within the last 24 hours.

Classified as a variant of interest by the World Health Organisation (WHO), JN.1 is a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant and has been identified as the most prevalent strain in the United States, accounting for over 44 per cent of cases there.

The resurgence of cases in India is being closely monitored after the JN.1 variant was detected across several states, with the health ministry reporting a total of 109 cases as of December 26.

The highest number of cases were reported in Gujarat and Karnataka, with 36 and 34 cases respectively, followed by Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.

Experts warn that while the JN.1 variant is highly transmissible, it primarily causes mild symptoms similar to a common cold, affecting the upper respiratory tract.