48 cases of COVID-19 Delta plus variant found in India, 20 from Maharashtra: Govt

India has reported 48 cases of the COVID-19 Delta Plus variant, with most of these cases being reported from Maharashtra.

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New Delhi: The governemnt on Friday claimed that the Delta Plus variant calls for caution and not panic as its virulence and transmissibility are still being investigated. So far, India has reported 48 cases of the Delta Plus variant, with most of these cases being reported from Maharashtra, followed by Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. 

The new Delta Plus variant formed due to a mutation of the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, it was first detected in India and is considered the principal cause of the deadly second wave in the country. 

The Centre informed that around 48 delta plus variant Covid cases were detected from 45,000 samples sequenced so far, PTI reported. 

This highly infectious variant also known as AY.1 has also been seen in nine other countries of the world with 205 infections detected in Europe, America, and Asia. The health ministry has already categorized it as a ‘variant of concern'.

While, the Maharashtra government on Friday decided to impose stricter rules in the state in view of rise in COVID-19 Delta Plus cases with one patient succumbing to the disease. The latest development comes amid reports of Delta and Delta Plus variants of coronavirus and a possible third COVID-19 wave in the state. 

Meanwhile, India on Friday recorded 51,667 new COVID-19 cases and 1,329 deaths in the last 24 hours. With this the country's total tally is now 3,01,34,445, of which, 3,93,310 have succumbed to the virus, while 6,12,868 are active cases, the Union Health Ministry informed.