Tripura is fear gripped after the presence of the highly-infectious Delta-plus variant of Covid-19 that was confirmed to be found in a large number of samples. About 115 samples had been sent by the state government from all its eight districts to the accredited genome testing laboratory in West Bengal last week.
About 115 samples of West Tripura district, eight in Sepahijala, five in Gomati, four in Unokoti, two each from North and South Tripura districts and one each in Khowai and Dhalai districts were confirmed to have found to carry the Delta-plus variant.
The administration has made it mandatory for all to maintain at least six-feet distance from each other on the roads and all public places, besides imposing strict weekend curfew all across the state.
In a press conference held late on Friday, the state health department also told that few samples also tested positive for the Delta and Alpha variants.
The health official said, “While 10 samples had Delta variants, three contained Alpha variants.”
“115 of the samples that contained the Delta Plus variants were found in west district alone while 8 samples in Sepahijala district, Gomati district (5 samples), Unakoti district (4 samples) and 2 each in North and South districts contained Delta Plus variant,” he said.
In Districts like Khowai and Dhalai one sample each were found to contain the Delta Plus variant.
Tripura’s COVID-19 tally currently stands at 56,169. At least 574 have died due to the virus in the state so far. The state currently has 5,152 active cases.
The daily positivity rate in the state is at worrying five per cent.
According to health experts, between 50 to 60 per cent of the coronavirus patients in the second wave in the state are infected by the double mutant variant of COVID-19 or Delta variant.
Dr. Tapan Majumder, head of the Microbiology department of Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC), was quoted as saying by news agency PTI, “Like some other states, the infection of Delta strain in Tripura is high — around 50 to 60 per cent. The double mutant variant is infecting young people, even children as well. It is a matter of concern.”
The official has alarmed, the emergence of Delta plus strain in Tripura which is one of the few small states with good vaccination coverage so far.
Amid the high transmission rate, Tripura has issued an order to reimpose its 24 hours weekend curfew from 12 pm today to 6 am Monday.
The state has already imposed a curfew in urban areas including the capital Agartala where the positivity was the highest at around 10 percent.
According to the Health Ministry, 80 percent of new infections in India are reported from 90 districts of which 14 are in the northeastern states.
But the Govt on Sunday clarified that, no case of Delta Plus reported from sample sequencing in Tripura
There were some Media reports regarding rising cases of Delta Plus variants in Tripura. There was no case of Delta Plus reported among an aforementioned lot of sequenced samples.
In this regard, it is informed that:
- 152 samples were sent from Tripura to NIBMG Kalyani for Whole Genome Sequence(WGS).
- The random samples were of people tested RT-PCR positive between April and May 2021
- The results of the WGS done at NIBMG Kalyani reveal-
- 3 samples had tested positive for B.1.1.7
- 11 samples had tested positive for B.1.617.1(Kappa)
- 138 samples had tested positive for B.1.617.2 (Delta)