Increased COVID-19 Testing Is Recommended By Punjab Health Authorities For Hospitals.

(CTN News) – The Punjab government has issued a notification to all hospitals in the province, instructing them to increase their testing for COVID-19. This pandemic, which once had a devastating impact on the world, continues to pose a risk of disease spread.

This directive comes in response to recent reports of a rise in cases of a variant of the coronavirus worldwide, as well as the spread of diseases in the province due to deadly smog.

In a statement, an official from the Punjab Health Department referred to these reports and emphasized the importance of COVID-19 testing. It is the only tool available to assess the extent of the disease and to prevent its transmission.

The statement further directed all relevant authorities to fully comply with these orders.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released new directives regarding the global and regional situation of COVID-19.

These directives include information on hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and updates on the variants of Interest and variants under monitoring.

The directives were issued on December 24, following reports of a significant rise in COVID-19 cases worldwide. According to the reports, there was a 52% increase in cases during 28 days from November 20 to December 17, 2023, compared to the previous 28-day period.

Over 850,000 new cases were reported during this time. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, now accounts for 44.1% of cases in the United States. This indicates a notable increase in the prevalence of this fast-spreading variant.

The CDC’s findings show that the increase in JN.1 infections is more than two times larger than the estimate of 21.3% for the week ending December 9, after Thanksgiving. These developments highlight the need for continued vigilance and adherence to preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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