“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,”
सिंगापुर में आया कोरोना का नया रूप बच्चों के लिए बेहद ख़तरनाक बताया जा रहा है, भारत में ये तीसरी लहर के रूप में आ सकता है।
केंद्र सरकार से मेरी अपील:
1. सिंगापुर के साथ हवाई सेवाएं तत्काल प्रभाव से रद्द हों
2. बच्चों के लिए भी वैक्सीन के विकल्पों पर प्राथमिकता के आधार पर काम हो— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 18, 2021
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.
