THE Narendra Modi government on Monday (18) asked the country's states and Union Territories to maintain constant vigil amid an uptick in Covid-19 cases and the detection of the first case of the new JN.1 variant in the country.
In a letter to states and union territories, Indian health secretary Sudhansh Pant underlined that “due to consistent and collaborative actions between the Centre and state governments, we have been able to sustain the (Covid-19) trajectory at sustainable low rates”.
“However, as the Covid-19 virus continues to circulate and its epidemiology behaviour gets settled with Indian weather conditions and circulation of other usual pathogens, it is important to keep the momentum going to effectively deal with the challenges in public health,” he said.
Recently, states such as Kerala have reported a slight increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, Pant noted.
India’s first case of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1 was detected in Kerala on December 8.
Considering the upcoming festive season, he said, states should put in place requisite public health measures and other arrangements to minimise the risk of transmission of the disease.
The states have been urged to ensure effective compliance of the detailed operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy for Covid-19 as has been shared by the Indian ministry of health and family welfare.
They have asked to monitor and report district-wise cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) in all health facilities on a regular basis for early detection of rising trend of cases.
The states were also advised to ensure adequate testing in all districts as per COVID-19 testing guidelines and maintain the recommended share of RT-PCR and antigen tests.
(With PTI inputs)
A 1996 photo of rapper Tupac Shakur (L) and Marion "Suge" Knight is shown on screens during closing arguments in the Duane Davis murder trial, related to the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, at Clark County District Court at the Regional Justice Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 31, 2026. Getty Images
A rescuer assists a resident through heavy mud following flash floods on August 27, 2026 in Trishuli, Nepal. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin in northern Rasuwa on August 26, damaging settlements, roads and energy infrastructure as rescue teams searched for residents and foreign travellers reported out of contact. Hundreds were reported missing, as the death toll started to climb.Getty Images
Rescue personnel provide medical treatment to a child at an army rescue camp in Trishuli Batar, Nepal, on August 27, 2026. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi River basin in northern Rasuwa on August 26, damaging settlements, roads and energy infrastructure, as rescue teams searched for residents and foreign travellers reported out of contact. Hundreds were reported missing as the death toll began to climb. Getty Ima
Family members of missing flood victims react at the emergency ward of the Maharajgunj Medical Campus, part of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, on August 28, 2026 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Authorities said the flash floods were triggered after a mass of ice, mud and rock collapsed into a Himalayan river near the Nepal-China border, leaving hundreds dead or missing and causing widespread damage in affected districts. Authorities continued the gruelling search for victims, many buried under metres of mud, as both China and Nepal issued fresh flooding alerts.Getty Images