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div id=”pcl-full-content”>Maharashtra on Thursday reported 117 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total count of active cases to 369. The first meeting of the Covid task force was also held on Thursday, where vulnerable groups were advised to strictly adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour, especially during the festive season.
The state conducted a total of 12,416 tests. This included 2,243 RT-PCR tests — the gold standard for Covid testing — and 10,173 with rapid antigen. The test positivity rate, indicating the percentage of positive Covid-19 cases among the total tests conducted, stood at 0.94 per cent.
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This reflects a slight increase when compared to the previous day, which was at 0.80 per cent. Maharashtra conducted 10,864 tests, with 87 samples testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Mumbai recorded a total of 25 cases of Covid-19.
In response to the emergence of the JN.1 variant, though currently considered to pose a moderate threat, citizens were strongly advised to maintain Covid-appropriate behaviour and exercise heightened vigilance. Dr Tanaji Sawant, Maharashtra’s Health Minister, stressed the importance of citizens adhering to preventive measures and that they should promptly seek medical attention if necessary.
In order to formulate necessary rules and regulations to contain Covid-19, Dr Sawant called for the first meeting of the newly appointed task force.
Dr Raman Gangakhedkar, former associate of the Indian Council of Medical Research, chaired the meeting.
Dr Sawant said, ‘The public health department is well-prepared for the JN.1 variant. The mock drills will also be conducted at primary health centres. Citizens, especially the vulnerable, must avoid crowds and adhere to Covid protocols. While not alarming now, precautions for vulnerable groups are vital. The task force will provide detailed guidelines soon.”
The health minister advised avoiding crowded places and public areas in the festive season. He emphasised the importance of continued caution for the next 10 to 15 days.
It was attended by key officials, including department secretary Dheeraj Kumar, district collectors, municipal council, municipal commissioners, district health officers, municipal health officers, district surgeons, and members of the Maharashtra Health Science University as well as Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Maharashtra’s genome sequencing coordinator.
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