Government Urges Reporting of Symptoms and Increased Testing as New COVID-19 Variant Spreads

The Indian government has advised states to maintain constant vigilance and report all influenza-like and severe acute respiratory illnesses amid a surge in Covid-19 cases and the detection of the first JN.1 variant in the country. States have been urged to increase RT-PCR testing and send positive samples for genome sequencing. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has listed strategies for Covid control and emphasized the need for public health measures during the upcoming festive season. The first case of the JN.1 variant was detected in Kerala, with several states reporting an increase in Covid cases.