New Covid variant: Health Secy conducts meeting with districts

MP, 19 Dec 2023, Kolkata: In wake of the detection of a new Covid variant in the country and keeping the festive season like Christmas and New Year in mind, state Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam on Tuesday held a meeting with the Chief Medical officer of Health (CMoHs) in the districts and the superintendents of various medical colleges to take a stock on the preparedness. 

All the district health officials have been directed to keep a close watch on the situation. The state Health department will soon issue an advisory to the districts so that no fresh infection is transmitted during the Christmas season and New Year’s. 

TMC Ganga Sagar Mela will also take place early next year. Some restrictions may be imposed so that people remain alert while visiting the crowded places. Superintendents of various medical colleges have also been alerted. 

Meanwhile, Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday will review the preparedness of health facilities and services in view of an upsurge in respiratory illness cases, including those of Covid, in some states. He may hold the review meeting virtually with health ministers and additional chief principal secretaries (health) of all states and union territories (UTs) and officials of central ministries and departments concerned, they said. 

Following identification of the first case of the new JN.1 variant of COVID-19 in the country, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant has written a letter to Bengal and other state governments emphasising the importance of remaining vigilant in the fight against the pandemic. 

He acknowledged that the collaborative efforts between the central and state governments have helped to maintain a consistent and sustained vigilance. Some of the states and union territories have recently seen a rise in Covid cases. 

Country’s first JN.1 case was detected in a sample taken from a 79-year-old woman in Kerala with mild symptoms on December 8. Earlier, a traveller from Tamil Nadu’s Tiruchirapalli district was detected with the JN.1 variant in Singapore. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/new-covid-variant-health-secy-conducts-meeting-with-districts-544926