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Agra: In a recent development that has raised concerns, a tourist from Thiruvananthapuram has tested positive for COVID-19 at the Agra Cantonment railway station, raising fears of possible spread of the new JN.1 variant in the city. The incident marks the first detection of Covid-19 in Agra since the Omicron variant was identified in the region eight months ago.
Talking about the situation, Agra Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Arun Srivastava confirmed the test results. The tourist’s sample has been sent to Lucknow for RT-PCR and genome sequencing to find out whether the JN.1 variant is present or not. Initial efforts to reach the tourist were hampered when his mobile phone was found switched off. However, contact was later established when the tourist was traced to Dholpur in Rajasthan. Health officials have directed the tourist to report to the local Chief Medical Officer in Dholpur.
Rapid antigen test kits have been supplied to healthcare centers in the city to prevent the possible spread of the virus. Dr. Ankur Goyal of Sarojini Naidu Medical College, underlining the predominance of Omicron sub-variants in the region, said that although these variants rarely lead to hospitalization, safety protocols such as wearing masks and hand hygiene It is still important to follow.
Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber President Prahlad Aggarwal expressed concern over the situation. The tourist had visited several places in Agra and had also visited Dholpur before being informed of his positive test. Agarwal urged reinstatement of COVID-19 safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus, especially in crowded tourist areas like the Taj Mahal.
