Delta Plus variant found in 9 countries, India reported 22 cases: Health Ministry

"In India, 16 of the 22 cases of Delta Plus variant have been found in Ratnagiri and Jalgaon (Maharashtra) and some cases in Kerala and Madhya Pradesh", Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said today.

Bhushan, while addressing a press briefing here said that the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is presently found in 80 countries, including India.

"Delta variant is found in 80 nations, including India. It's considered a 'variant of concern'. Delta Plus found in 9 nations - US, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, China and Russia; 22 cases found in India. This variant is in the category of 'variant of interest."

As many as 21 cases of the Delta Plus Covid variant, the mutant version of the Delta variant have been found in Maharashtra, health minister Rajesh Tope informed on Monday. Tope further informed that of the 21 cases, nine were reported from Jalgaon in Ratnagiri, seven were from Mumbai and one each from Palghar, Sindhudurg and Thane.

Speaking on the criticism being faced by the Co-WIN portal, Bhushan today said, "In spite of criticism at times, Co-WIN has mostly received praises. It has established itself as a very robust, all-inclusive, simple IT-based platform. Therefore, a large number of countries are interested in taking the technology and using it."

"The National Health Authority, Union Health Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) together are planning a global webinar in which such potentially interested countries would be invited and we would be more than willing to share the technology and solution with them", Bhushan added.

Speaking about India's ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive, the health secretary said, "Both Indian vaccines we're using in COVID vaccination program- Covishield and Covaxin -are effective against Delta variant. But to what extent and what's the proportion of antibodies that they produce, that we would share with you shortly."

Health Secretary on being asked how Union Government achieved highest-single day vaccination said: "What happened yesterday was not sudden but a result of coordinated planning. Between June 1-21, average daily vaccination was 34,62,841. So a jump to 88 lakh when vaccines and capacity are available is possible".

"A historic milestone was achieved on 21st June 2021 - 88.09 lakh doses administered in a single day. 92.20 per cent doses were administered at Government COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs) and 7.80 percent in private CVCs. Total vaccine doses administered till now is 29.16 crore. Today as of now 38 lakh doses have been administered so far. Continuous decrease in cases since India reported a peak on 7th May. Almost 90 percent decline in cases since the highest reported peak in daily new cases", said Bhushan.

As many as 42,640 fresh COVID-19 infections were reported in the last 24 hours, the lowest daily spike after 91 days, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday. The second wave of COVID-19 seems to be abating as the country has been witnessing a continuous decline in fresh coronavirus cases for the past few weeks.