NEW DELHI: India reported on Sunday (Jun 27) 50,040 new COVID-19 infections over the past 24 hours, data from the health ministry showed.
The COVID-19 death toll in the rose by 1,258.
Advertisement
Advertisement
READ: Ganges exposes India’s COVID-19 graves
READ: India says new ‘Delta plus’ COVID-19 variant is a concern
Maharashtra state on Friday ordered malls and cinema halls to close as it scrambles to control a more transmissible variant of the coronavirus that has scuppered plans to ease lockdown measures.
The variant, identified locally as Delta Plus, showed increased transmissibility, with the health ministry advising states to increase testing.
Advertisement
Advertisement
While it is not known where the variant originated, Public Health England first reported on Delta Plus in a Jun 11 bulletin, calling it a sub-lineage of the Delta variant first detected in India last year.
The Delta variant was partly responsible for a ferocious second wave in India that triggered a flood of cases and overwhelmed the health system.
Scientists fear Delta Plus could trigger another wave of infections as India recovers from the second wave. Many states, including Maharashtra, have been easing lockdown rules imposed in April.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Leave a Reply