Vijayawada: Be alert on new Covid variant says CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Vijayawada : Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the medical and health department officials to be fully prepared on preventive steps in view of the reports that Covid-19 new variant JN.1 spreading fast.

At a review on the Covid threat at camp office on Friday, the Chief Minister told them to keep the village clinics, village and ward secretariats on high alert for taking preventive measures despite doctors’ advice that there is no need to panic.

He said that senior officials should create awareness among the staff of village clinics and secretariats on identifying the features of the new variant and on taking preventive measures.

He also directed them to introduce teaching through AI (Artificial Intelligence) in all medical colleges. Earlier, officials explained that the people who were infected with the new variant are fast recovering without developing complications and without the necessity of visiting hospitals.

The new variant is not like the Delta type but it is spreading fast and suspected people are made to undergo medical tests in government hospitals, they said.

The Chief Minister was further informed that rapid testing kits and personal care kits are being kept at village and ward secretariats and Government hospitals respectively.

While necessary medicines, oxygen concentrators and D type cylinders are made available at all hospitals, oxygen infrastructure is also being readied and oxygen can be supplied by running PSA plants wherever necessary, they said.

They informed him that samples of the people who tested positive are being sent to Genome Sequencing Lab in Vijayawada for further examination to identify new variants and 56,741 oxygen beds are also kept ready at various hospitals.

Medical and health minister V Rajani, chief secretary Dr K S Jawahar Reddy, special CS (medical and health) M T Krishna Babu and other senior officials were among those present.