Thiruvananthapuram: Amid a rise in Covid-19 cases, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has urged the public to take special care, especially the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. She said the Omicron JN.1 subvariants LF.7 and XFG are the most common in Kerala. Though these variants are not considered severe, they have a high transmission rate.“Masks should be worn in public places and while travelling,” George said. She added that genomic sequencing is ongoing to monitor the spread of these variants, which are also prevalent in Southeast Asian countries.Kerala currently has 2,223 active Covid-19 cases, with 96 people undergoing treatment. Most of those under treatment have underlying health issues. District-wise, Ernakulam reported 431 cases, Kottayam 426, and Thiruvananthapuram 365.Hospitals across the state have been directed to test patients showing symptoms such as cold, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath. The minister also instructed health officials to ensure adequate oxygen supply and avoid referring patients to private hospitals unnecessarily.George chaired a meeting with the state Rapid Response Team to assess the situation and issued further instructions: masks are mandatory in hospitals, and frequent handwashing with soap or sanitizer is advised.As of Tuesday morning, India has reported 6,815 active Covid-19 cases. According to INSACOG, 163 cases of the XFG variant have been detected nationwide.Balram Bhargava, former ICMR Director General, noted that the emergence of XFG is part of the natural evolution of the virus and added that India is well-equipped to detect and respond to new variants through platforms like Truenat.
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