Uttarakhand on alert to prevent Covid JN 1 spread

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government is on high alert as the shadow of the JN 1 sub-variant of the coronavirus looms large, prompting a comprehensive advisory issued to all districts and hospitals on Tuesday. With 142 active cases registered as of Tuesday, emanating from hotspots like Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, the state is preparing to handle potential outbreaks.R Rajesh Kumar, Uttarakhand’s health secretary, said, “As of now, there have been no reported cases of the new JN 1 variant in the state. However, all hospitals in the state have been put on alert." District magistrates and chief medical officers (CMOs) have received directives to strictly adhere to Covid prevention guidelines in hospitals.Emphasising the need for vigilance, Pankaj Singh, nodal officer of the state integrate disease surveillance program (IDSP), Uttarakhand health department, said, “All information about such patients needs to be fed into the Integrated Health Information Platform portal. Furthermore, there’s a need for raising public awareness about respiratory hygiene to ensure the prevention of coronavirus spread.”In response to the escalating threat, the Karnataka government has mandated mask-wearing for individuals over 60 years of age, those with heart and kidney diseases, and those displaying symptoms such as fever, phlegm, and colds.