COVID JN.1 Surge: Lady Hardinge Hospital reserves 48 beds for patients

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that there is no need to panic as new covid variant only causes mild sickness.

"JN.1 is a sub-variant of Omicron and is a mild infection. This is the one spreading in south India. There is no need to panic. It causes mild sickness," Bharadwaj told ANI on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a total of 109 JN.1 COVID variant cases have been reported in the country as of December 26, Health Ministry sources said on Wednesday.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of Delhi has issued guidelines regarding suspected or positive cases following the sudden surge in the coronavirus cases in the country.

AIIMS Delhi director held a meeting with all heads of departments of the hospital on COVID-19 contingency measures on Wednesday. In the meeting, policy on COVID-19 testing, the areas to be designated for positive patients and their hospitalisation was discussed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified JN.1 as a variant of interest, distinct from its parent lineage BA.2.86. However, the global health body emphasised that the overall risk posed by JN.1 remains low based on current evidence.