On Monday, India marked a concerning milestone in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, as the Union Health Ministry reported a surge in fresh cases, pushing the nation`s tally beyond the 4,000 mark. The data, updated on Monday, revealed a substantial increase with 628 new Covid-19 cases recorded in the past 24 hours, compared to 3,742 on the previous Sunday. The spike in cases coincides with the emergence of the sub-variant JN.1, which has been spreading across the country.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare disclosed that the active Covid-19 cases now stand at 4,054, indicating a rise in the virus`s prevalence. Additionally, a tragic development was reported on Monday, as Kerala recorded one more death attributed to the virus, further contributing to the nationwide death toll, which has now reached 5,33,334. It is noteworthy that Kerala was the initial hotspot for the detection of the Covid sub-variant JN.1.