“It seems that JN.1 Covid variant has replaced most other variants since December last year,” Dr Rajesh Karyakarte, Maharashtra genome sequencing coordinator, said.
While reassuring that there was no need to panic about the new JN.1 variant, experts said taking precautionary measures would be prudent, especially as people get ready to usher in the New Year.
The expert body was set up following a nationwide upsurge in Covid cases and the emergence of the JN.1 variant. At least 10 of the over 100 JN.1 cases have been detected in the state.
Dr Bhagwan Pawar, chief medical officer of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) while speaking to The Indian Express, said two of the three cases were reported from Pune while one case was from Pune rural.