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MOH rebuts media reports over Delhi Chief Minister’s assertion of new variant of COVID-19 being found in Singapore

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The Ministry of Health issued a statement on Tuesday (18 May) late night to rebut media reports made over comments by Delhi Chief Minister, saying that there is a a new variant of COVID-19 found in Singapore.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed on his Twitter account earlier on the same day that a new variant of COVID-19 found in Singapore and urged the Government of India to immediately halt flights to and from Singapore, warning that the variant can “come as a third wave” in India.
He warned that the new variant detected in Singapore is “very dangerous for children” and called on the Central Government to immediately suspend air services with the city-state, as reported by Indian Express.

“A new variant of coronavirus found in Singapore is being said to be very dangerous for children. This can usher in the third wave (of COVID-19) in India.

“I appeal to the Central government to immediately halt air services with Singapore, and work on developing a vaccine for children on a priority basis,” he wrote.

Indian media also quoted cardiac surgeon and chief of Narayana Health, Dr Devi Shetty, saying “There is a possibility that the third wave virus will predominantly target the children, mainly because adults are either infected or immunised,”

In response to the media reports over Mr Kejriwal’s claims, MOH said: “There is no truth whatsoever in the assertions found within the reports. There is no “Singapore variant”.

The ministry further noted that the strain that is prevalent in many of the COVID-19 cases in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India.

“Phylogenetic testing has shown this B.1.617.2 variant to be associated with several clusters in Singapore.”

Newly appointed Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who co-chairs the Government’s Covid-19 task force, recently said, “The behaviour of the virus has not changed since last year, (in terms of just needing) one superspreading incident to spread to many.”

“This strain is no different, but it is true that there has been literature showing that (the B1617 strain) is more virulent. Fundamentally, you’re looking at a very contagious virus.”

Meanwhile, India’s total tally of coronavirus cases rose past the 25 million mark with 263,533 new infections over the past 24 hours as reported on Tuesday, while deaths from COVID-19 rose by a record 4,329.

 

 

 

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