Total cases of Delta Plus variant of coronavirus in Maharashtra rise to 66
Aug 13, 2021
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 14 : The total number of cases of the Delta Plus variant of coronavirus in Maharashtra have risen to 66, said the State Health Department on Friday.
"Total cases of the Delta Plus variant in Maharashtra have risen to 66 after a case was reported in Thane yesterday. A total of five deaths due to the Delta Plus variant have been reported - two from Ratnagiri and one each from Mumbai, Beed and Raigad," said the State Health Department.
Genomic sequencing of coronaviruses is being carried out on a regular basis as an integral part of corona prevention and control measures. Genetic sequencing is a very important component of laboratory surveys. This genetic sequencing is done in two ways including Sentinel Survey.
Under Sentinel Survey, five laboratories and five hospitals in the state have been selected as Sentinel Centers. Each Sentinel Center sends 15 laboratory samples every fortnight to the National Institute of Virology and the National Institute of Cell Science, Pune for genetic sequencing.
The Government of Maharashtra has entered into an agreement with the Institute of Genomics and Integrated Biology, a laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, to expedite the genetic sequencing survey.