The Union Government has called on all states to implement stricter public health measures to minimise transmission of the Covid-19 virus, following a surge in infections in some states, Kerala added.
The first case of a new Covid-19 subvariant, JN. 1, detected on Dec. 8 in the southern state, raised concerns about the resurgence of the health threat more than two years after India’s last pandemic lockdown.
The recently emerged JN. 1 variant (BA. 2. 86. 1. 1) is a descendant of an Omicron subvariant with a high probability of evading acquired immunity after vaccination or infection.
Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant sent a letter to the states and territories of the union on Monday emphasizing the need for constant vigilance on the Covid situation.
“Through consistent and collaborative movements between the central and state governments, we have been able to move at low and sustainable rates,” he wrote.
“However, as the Covid-19 virus continues to circulate and its epidemiological behaviour adapts to India’s climatic conditions and the flow of other common pathogens, it is vital to gain momentum to deal well with public health challenges,” Pant added.
The Union Government has called on the federal states to strictly comply with the operational rules for surveillance of the Covid-19 virus and to carry out sufficiently good tests in all districts.
“States are encouraged to monitor and report cases of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness at the point of district at all fitness facilities, adding the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal to detect the early upward trend in cases. “Pant said in the letter.
The government has asked states to send samples for genome sequencing to Indian laboratories of the SARS COV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) so that they can detect new variants of the virus.
It also called on states to have all public and personal fitness services participate in training led by the Union Ministry of Health to take inventory of their “preparedness and reaction capacity. ”
Following the presence of the new Covid-19 variant in Kerala, the Karnataka government has also made it mandatory for people over 60 years of age and those with comorbidities to wear a mask in public.
The WHO’s JN. 1 is an “interesting variant”. So far, JN. 1 has been detected in the United States, China, Singapore, and India.
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