Mumbai, Dec 27: Sparking fresh concerns, Maharashtra on Wednesday reported two Covid-19 deaths and 87 new cases, while 10 persons were diagnosed with the new variant, JN.1, health officials said.

The state has JN.1 patients in Thane (5), Pune (3), Akola and Sindhdurg (1 each), comprising 8 males, 1 female and one minor boy aged 9 years.

One patient from Pune had a recent travel history to the USA.

From January 1, 2023, till date, Maharashtra has recorded 136 Covid deaths, including over 71 per cent aged above 60, a majority (84 per cent) with comorbidities and the rest without any other health problems.

Among the two fatalities reported on Wednesday, one patient was from Pune and the other from Sangli, with a death rate of 1.81 per cent.

Of the new cases, the highest 39 were reported from Pune circle, followed by Mumbai circle (36), Nagpur and Kolhapur circle (4 each), and Latur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar circle (2 each), said the health department.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Maharashtra has recorded a total of 81,72,287 cases and a staggering 148,566 deaths – both highest in the country.