THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three villages in Kerala are under lockdown after the highly infectious Delta plus variant was found in some patients via genome sequencing. Experts have already warned that this variant is highly infectious and affects the monoclonal antibodies rapidly. The new variant has been detected when COVID-19 cases are down in the country and several sectors have started to unlock.
In Palakkad, this variant was detected in two women in their 50s and both of them tested negative later. Mrunami Joshi, District Collector, Palakkad, said that a massive testing drive is going on and two villages named Parali and Pariyari are under lockdown and all the residents are directed to be tested. India is among ten countries where this Delta Plus variant has been found and till now, 40 cases of the new variant have been reported in India.
The Government of India has advised the Chief Secretaries of these states to take up immediate containment measures in the districts where the new variants have been found. Presently, little is known about the new variant so the states have been sent the advisories and have been asked to keep things under observation, said V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog.