New Delhi: Amid criticism over Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Singapore COVID variant comment, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain claimed on Wednesday {that a} ‘completely different strain’ of the coronavirus is spreading in the Southeast Asian nation. His feedback got here hours after the federal government of Singapore conveyed to the Indian excessive commissioner its robust objection to Kejriwal’s feedback a few ‘Singapore variant’ of COVID-19.
The Delhi Chief Minister known as for cancelling all air companies with Singapore with speedy impact on Tuesday, saying a strain of the coronavirus discovered in the Southeast Asian nation might attain Delhi in the type of a 3rd wave of the pandemic. “There are many strains of the coronavirus in India at present…. Their presence is ascertained through genome-sequencing. It is a different strain (in Singapore) indeed. Whether it is from Singapore, Delhi, America or London…What is important is that the strains are different,” Jain informed reporters.
“It is wrong to say it is not a different variant…. The picture will be clear in some time. We will inform you about it,” he mentioned. Jain identified that the Delhi authorities had additionally known as for cancelling flights from London final 12 months.
“Then also, it was considered an unwarranted demand. I think we should do whatever possible to protect the country,” he mentioned. Earlier in the day, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi mentioned the Indian excessive commissioner in Singapore conveyed to the federal government of that nation that Kejriwal has “no competence” to touch upon COVID variants. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar mentioned the Delhi chief minister doesn’t converse for India.
“Singapore Government called in our High Commissioner today to convey strong objection to Delhi CM’s tweet on “Singapore variant”. High Commissioner clarified that Delhi CM had no competence to pronounce on Covid variants or civil aviation policy,” Bagchi mentioned in a tweet.
In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal mentioned on Tuesday: “The new form of the coronavirus in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis.”
Reacting to it, Singapore’s well being ministry mentioned there was no fact in the declare.
