Responding to reports showing a spurt in Covid-19 cases in countries like China, the USA, and Japan, the health department of the Jharkhand government has asked officials to send for whole genome sequencing of all positive samples of Coronavirus to track the variants.

The move comes at a time when Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the situation and asked people to follow COVID- appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in marketplaces and getting booster doses of vaccines.

In crowded places near Main road and District Collectorate mask wearing men and women were spotted on Thursday noon. “We have to protect ourselves against the Chinese virus”, said a mask-wearing man in Upper Bazar, Ranchi.