Amid the growing scare of Covid-19 subvariant JN.1 cases in Kerala, the CM Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government has made it mandatory for people above the age of 60, and those with comorbidities, to wear masks. Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has informed that they have increased tests among people reporting symptoms of Covid-19 subvariant JN.1. The minister also informed that the state government has increased surveillance in border districts with Kerala. However, the state health minister urged the general public not to panic over reports of the new Covid subvariant JN.1.Talking about the further imposing restrictions in the state, Rao said a new set of guidelines related to Covid-19 will be issued and added that he had already held a meeting with the health department officials on the same. We have also asked the health department to increase testing and be prepared with hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, PPE kids and other necessary equipment. We have taken measures at Karnataka-Kerala border. Anyone with fever, cold and cough should undergo Covid-19 tests,” he added.
Talking about the rising COVID cases in Kerala, he said that the state government is closely monitoring the situation in the neighbouring state and is equipped with everything that is required to face any situation. “We will issue a detailed advisory soon and discussed regarding the same in a meeting. People over 60 years in the state with co-morbidities wear masks as a precautionary measure. The state government has ordered all hospitals of the districts surrounding Kerala to be alert and equipped. We will also increase the number of tastings that are being conducted,” he said. On Tuesday, Rao will meet with the Technical Advisory Committee on Covid and the committee is led by Dr K Ravi, the head of the Department of Medicine at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).“We should be prepared and not allow a disaster to happen. We were not prepared in the past, but after having experienced it, we should gear up now itself,” Rao said. In the meantime, the Union ministry of health has issued a health advisory for all states amid COVID scare and after a case of the JN.1 subvariant of COVID has been identified in Kerala as part of the ongoing routine surveillance conducted by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG).