Two persons of a family who returned to their hometown Indore from Maldives were found to be infected with coronavirus and their samples have been sent for genome sequencing to ascertain the variant, said a health official on Wednesday.

The cases were reported in Madhya Pradesh’s financial capital amid an uptick in the viral infection in some states with the arrival of the new JN.1 variant of COVID-19 in the country. Dr Amit Malakar, nodal officer of the Indore district unit of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), said the viral disease was contracted by a 33-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man.

He said that the woman was found infected with coronavirus on December 13 and has since completed the seven days of home isolation, while the man’s infection was detected on December 18.? Malakar said that the man is still in home isolation.

“Both the patients are close relatives and had returned from a trip to Maldives a few days ago. Symptoms of cold and cough were found in them. The condition of both is fine,” he said. Malakar said that samples of both patients have been sent to Bhopal’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for a full genome sequencing test to ascertain the variant of coronavirus that infected them.

The first case of the new JN.1 variant of COVID-19 in the country was reported in Kerala on December 8. The Centre has asked the general public to follow precautionary measures in view of the expected crowding in closed spaces, especially during the cold weather and New Year celebrations.? Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav earlier said that his government has implemented guidelines issued by the Centre in connection with the new variant of COVID-19.