Amidst the Delta Plus variant scare in the country, India has reportedly recorded 60 cases of coronavirus of the variant.
In the last week, 14 fresh cases have come to light in Maharashtra. According to scientists at the National Institute of Virology in Pune, 14 more Delta Plus variants have been discovered in Maharashtra and 66 in the country.
Meanwhile, according to the health ministry, Delta Plus cases have so far been found in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh are also expected to have the new variant.
In view of the situation, on Tuesday, June 22, the Union ministry of health and family welfare, in a statement, called the variant “a variant of concern”. Furthermore, the ministry cited an analysis by a consortium of genomic sequencing labs that purportedly found the mutated virus to spread more readily. Addressing a press conference earlier that day, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan had called Delta Plus a “variant of interest” (VoI), implying that it is being studied.
On the other hand, in view of the concerns over the Delta Plus variant, the Maharashtra government issued new orders with regards to the levels of restrictions. This variant has been found in Ratnagiri, Jalgaon and other districts and can fuel the potentiality of the imminent third wave.
Moreover, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope also informed that out of the 21 Delta Plus variant cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra, an 80-year-old woman with co-morbidities has passed away.
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