New strain of coronavirus: Arvind Kejriwal has called the new mutation a super spreader.
New Delhi:
Issuing a warning note against the new strain of coronavirus that has emerged in the UK, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today called on the government to immediately ban all flights arriving from that country.
In a tweet posted today, Keijriwal said: “A new corona virus mutation has emerged in the UK, which is a super spreader. I urge the central government to ban all flights from the UK immediately.”
On Sunday, the British health minister warned that a strict blockade imposed on London and south-east England could last for months because the new strain was “out of control”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Saturday that millions must cancel Christmas plans and stay home from Sunday.
Scientists first discovered the new variant in a patient in September, Susan Hopkins of Public Health England told Sky News. In November, they discovered that the new strain was behind a cluster of cases in Kent that spread to London and Essex and reported to the government on December 11.
India’s Health Ministry today called a meeting of its joint monitoring group on COVID-19 to discuss a mutant coronavirus that has spread rapidly in the UK, government sources said.
“The government is alert. There is no need to panic,” Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan said on Monday, according to ANI.
India has not made any political decisions on any flight bans from the UK, but the matter will be seriously considered, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
European countries, and some beyond the continent, are restricting travel from the UK amid mounting fears about the new infectious strain.
Austria, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Germany, France and the Netherlands announced bans on Sunday, with others expected to follow. Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have also temporarily suspended flights to or from the UK.
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