As respiratory illnesses surge, including a notable rise in Covid-19 cases, the Union health ministry has sounded a nationwide alert. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya called for a meeting with state health ministers to evaluate preparedness. Kerala, in particular, faces a significant increase in daily Covid cases, nearly tripling within a week, along with concerns about the JN.1 sub-variant. On December 16, the state reported 302 new cases, marking the highest in the recent outbreak. The Union health secretary emphasized the imperative of constant vigilance and directed states to monitor influenza-like and acute respiratory illnesses district-wise, enhance RT-PCR testing, and conduct timely genome sequencing for early detection of variants.

#covid #kerala #covidcases

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