After enjoying a relatively Covid-19-free existence for over two years, recent concerns have surfaced due to a spike in coronavirus cases in the past few days.
The detection of JN.1, a sub-variant of Covid-19, spreading in the US and China, has added to these worries, especially since it has now been identified in Kerala, India.
Acting promptly, the Centre has issued alerts to states, urging them to enhance testing efforts, including a higher frequency of RT-PCR tests.
Positive samples are to be sent for genome sequencing to INSACOG laboratories.
The initial case of JN.1 was identified in a positive RT-PCR sample in Karakulam, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, on December 8, 2023.
India has reported 260 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a "variant of interest" but said it did not pose much threat to public health.
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