At least seven cases of SARS-CoV-2 Delta-plus variant have been found in samples collected from Ratnagiri, Navi Mumbai and Palghar regions of Maharashtra. More samples have been sent for genome sequencing to understand whether the new variant is dominant or scattered. The Delta-plus is currently a “variant of interest”, and hasn’t been classified as a “variant of concern” yet.
At least five of the seven Delta-plus variants were reported from Ratnagiri, where the weekly positivity rate till June 10 was 13.7 per cent as compared to the state’s average of 5.8 per cent. Containment zones have been created and entire villages have been sealed in the region.