New Delhi, December 27: India recorded 529 fresh COVID-19 cases in a single day, while the country's active infection count stood at 4,093, the health ministry said on Wednesday. Three new fatalities -- two from Karnataka and one from Gujarat -- were reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. COVID-19 Variant JN.1: WHO Classifies New Coronavirus Strain As 'Variant of Interest'; Here's Why.

The number of daily cases had dropped to double-digits till December 5, but infections have again gone up after emergence of a new variant and cold weather conditions. The daily numbers were in lakhs at the peak of the pandemic, which began in early 2020 and has seen more than 4.5 crore people getting infected and over 5.3 lakh deaths in about four years since then across the country. COVID-19 Variant JN.1: ‘We Need To Be Cautious, Not Panic’, Says Former WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan (Watch Video).

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease stands at more than 4.4 crore with a national recovery rate of 98.81 per cent, according to the ministry's website. The case fatality rate stands at 1.19 per cent. According to the website, 220.67 crore doses of Covid vaccines have so far been administered in the country.