Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the Medical and Health Department officials to be fully prepared and focus on preventive measures due to the rapid spread of the new variant of Covid-19, JN.1. Despite doctors’ reassurances that there is no need to panic, the Chief Minister has instructed officials to keep village clinics and secretariats on high alert. Senior officials have been asked to educate staff on identifying the features of the new variant and taking preventive measures.
Officials have informed the Chief Minister that people diagnosed with the new variant are recovering quickly without complications and without needing to visit hospitals. While the new variant is spreading rapidly, it is different from the Delta variant. Suspected individuals are being tested in government hospitals, and rapid testing kits and personal care kits are available at village and ward secretariats as well as government hospitals.
The department has made necessary medicines, oxygen concentrators, and D type cylinders available in all hospitals. They are also preparing oxygen infrastructure and ensuring that PSA plants can supply oxygen wherever needed. Samples from positive cases are being sent for further examination at the Genome Sequencing Lab in Vijayawada to identify new variants. Additionally, 56,741 oxygen beds have been prepared in various hospitals.
Present at the review meeting were Medical and Health Minister Vidadala Rajani, Chief Secretary Dr KS Jawahar Reddy, Special CS (Medical and Health) MT Krishna Babu, and other senior officials.
