New Delhi:
A gathering is underway on the Prime Minister’s Workplace to evaluation the coronavirus state of affairs within the nation amid a surge in circumstances over the previous few days, and amid concern that mutated variations of the virus – together with these which may be extra infectious – could also be circulating within the nation.
Well being Secretary Rajesh Bhushan is amongst these attending this assembly.
The spike in Covid numbers in some states comes as 240 new strains of the virus have emerged throughout the nation; Dr Shahshank Joshi, a member of Maharashtra’s Covid Activity Power, advised NDTV this week that the brand new strains may very well be the explanation for a rise in circumstances in that state.
Well being Ministry sources have mentioned that 800 to 900 samples from Maharashtra and Kerala – two of 5 states to have seen a surge in circumstances – had been despatched for genome sequencing up to now month.
Samples for genome sequencing – to grasp the whole genetics of the virus – have additionally been sought from Punjab (one other state to see a rise in circumstances) and Bengaluru, the place two house complexes have been declared “containment zones” and sealed up to now few days.
To date genome sequencing of almost 6,000 samples have been accomplished.
Whereas authorities are nonetheless unsure what number of of those new circumstances (if any, in any respect) are from the brand new mutated strains of the virus, authorities officers have admitted India’s genome sequencing has been beneath the mark thus far, and that this wants to alter within the coming weeks.
India has, thus far, reported fewer than 200 circumstances of the UK pressure of the virus. The South African pressure has been detected in 4 folks and the Brazil variant in a single.
There are round 1.47 lakh energetic coronavirus circumstances within the nation, in response to authorities information launched this morning. The full variety of circumstances reported because the pandemic started in China in December 2019 is now over 1.10 crore, with 1.56 lakh deaths linked to the virus.
Maharashtra and Kerala proceed to be the worst-affected states and amongst a handful seeing a surge in new circumstances that has anxious the centre. Maharashtra has reported over 5,200 new circumstances in 24 hours, whereas Kerala has detected over 2,200.