‘Delta variant, major cause to rapid spread of Covid-19 in Manipur’

Imphal: Eighteen out of 20 samples of Covid-19 patients in Manipur came out to be of the new variant called Delta variant.

“Twenty samples were sent for testing to know the variant of the virus, of which 18 samples came out to be of the new variant called Delta variant,” chief minister N. Biren Singh said on Friday.

“The variant had been the major cause of rapid spread,” he added.

“Home isolation patients would be provided additional medicines useful in treatment of this variant. They will also be provided 20 triple-layer masks each, hand sanitizer with extra medicines from today,” the chief minister said.

He appealed to the public to come up with constructive criticisms and encourage the work of health and frontline workers rather than just pointing out mistakes and taking up negative propaganda in this crucial hour of the pandemic. Maintaining that saving precious lives of the people is the utmost priority of the government, he further urged people not to believe in misleading information regarding the pandemic and to get vaccinated at the earliest.

Biren urged the public to be more careful and follow Covid Appropriate Behaviours and Standard Operating Procedures issued by the government to prevent infection from the new variant.

He stressed the need to be more responsible on the part of the public and even to not go to public spaces until he or she got vaccinated.

The state government had been taking up all the necessary measures to curb the spread of the pandemic and also sought support of all the stakeholders in its fight against it, Biren said.