The State has decided to increase testing and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of positive cases, as it gears up to navigate a possible COVID-19 upsurge again due to the JN.1 subvariant prevalent in the neighbouring State of Kerala.
“Presently, the number of COVID-19 tests being conducted in the State is very low. We have decided to increase testing to 5,000 a day,” said D. Randeep, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare. Guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to all the States on Monday, December 18, recommended “ensuring adequate testing in all districts as per COVID-19 guidelines and maintaining RT PCR and RAT tests ratio”.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is scheduled to hold a meeting with all the State governments through a video conferencing on Wednesday morning (December 20).