GUWAHATI: A 28-year-old woman from Guwahati has tested positive for COVID-19 on December 21, sparking fresh concerns about the evolving pandemic landscape.
Reportedly, she had recently returned from Sweden, and further details in the case are currently awaited.
The revelation comes on the heels of a sincere plea from Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta, who urged heightened vigilance among the state’s residents on December 20.
This call to action was prompted by a recent virtual meeting chaired by Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, specifically addressing the national COVID-19 situation with a focus on the emergence of the JN.1 subvariant.
In the virtual session attended by Mahanta and key officials, including Dr MS Lakshmi Priya and ED Dr Manoj Kumar Choudhury from Guwahati, Dr Mandaviya addressed the detection of the JN.1 variant in several states.
On Thursday, India reported 594 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the active cases to 2,669 from the previous day’s 2,311, as per the latest data from the Union Health Ministry.
The total COVID-19 tally in the country now stands at 4.50 crore (4,50,06,572).
The death toll rose to 5,33,327 with six additional fatalities, including three from Kerala, two from Karnataka, and one from Punjab, according to the 8 am update.
Responding promptly to the potential threat, the Union Health Ministry issued an alert, clarifying that no clustering of cases had been observed with the new JN.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
While the variant remains under scientific scrutiny, it has not triggered immediate alarm, with all JN.1 cases reported as mild, and patients recovering without complications.
As Assam confronts this new case, the incident raises urgency on the critical need for ongoing vigilance and strict adherence to public health guidelines to curb the spread of the virus and its variants.
Health authorities at both the state and national levels are closely monitoring the evolving situation, stressing on the collective responsibility in navigating these challenging times.
