NEW DELHI: In view of the rising H3N2 virus cases, state authorities declared holidays for schools. All schools in Puducherry will remain closed for 11 days starting from Thursday amid a spike in H3N3 virus cases. It will remain closed from March 16 to March 26, Puducherry education minister A Namassivayam said.
We have taken all preventive steps to ensure that the virus does not spread,” Sriramulu said asking the public to follow guidelines that were recommended for the Covid pandemic, including washing hands, wearing face masks, and avoiding crowded places.
Around 79 cases of influenza cases belonging to the virus subtype H3N@ subtype have been reported in the state so far.No deaths due to the virus have been reported yet.
An alert has also been issued in Maharashtra. So far the state has recorded 352 cases of the virus. The state health minister has asked the public to be vigilant of their actions and follow all preventive measures. “there is no need to panic” as the virus is “not fatal and can be cured by medical treatment”, said Sawant interacting with the media.
The announcement comes after Maharashtra reported its first death due to the H3N2 virus after an MBBS student from Ahmednagar died on March 14. Notably, the patient had tested positive for both, Covid and H3N2. However, the exact cause behind his death can only be confirmed once his reports are out.
Several states including Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, and Karnataka are witnessing a spike in H3N2 cases. According to the Union Health Ministry, Karnataka and Haryana have confirmed one death each from H3N2 influenza so far.