Delhi CM raises concern about new COVID-19 variant detected in Singapore, dangerous for children

The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has red flagged a new COVID-19 variant detected in Singapore, which is potentially dangerous for children. He has urged the Centre to suspend flights to and from Singapore as an immediate measure to prevent a third wave.

“The new form of COVID that came to Singapore is being said to be extremely dangerous for children, in India it may come as a third wave,” Kejriwal warned in a tweet in Hindi. “My appeal to the central government is air services with Singapore to be cancelled with immediate effect, and priority on vaccine options should be worked out for children too.”

Singapore authorities have warned the new coronavirus strain, such as the one detected in India, were affecting more children. Singapore has confirmed 38 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the highest daily count in eight months. Some of the cases involved children linked to a cluster at a tuition centre. Taiwan has also shut schools in Taipei to control an outbreak, and it has banned all foreigners from entry or transit for a month.

The Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said Sunday that the B.1.617 strain, first detected in India, appears to affect children more. “Some of these mutations are much more virulent and they seem to attack the younger children,” Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said. “This is an area of concern for all of us.”

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Dr Devi Shetty, cardiac surgeon and chief of Narayana Health, told NDTV that there is a possibility that the third wave virus will predominantly target the children, mainly because adults are either infected or immunized. Moreover, Principal Scientific Adviser K Vijay Raghavan has also warned that a third wave is inevitable and suggested that vaccines need to be updated to deal with the emerging strains. “Phase three is inevitable given the higher levels of circulating virus, but it is not clear on what time-scale this phase three will occur. We should be prepared for new waves,” he said.