Delta Plus not found in Tripura: Centre on reports of COVID-19 variant's spread

New Delhi: A day after the Tripura government said 90 per cent of samples sent for genome sequencing tested positive for Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus, the centre today said there is no case of this highly infectious variant in Tripura.

Doctors in the state quoting reports of a West Bengal-based national institute on Friday 138 cases of Delta Plus variant were found in Tripura.

A statement by the Health Ministry said 152 samples were sent from Tripura to the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics in West Bengal for whole genome sequence (WGS).

"The results of the WGS revealed that three samples had tested positive for B.1.1.7, eleven samples had tested positive for B.1.617.1 (Kappa) and 138 samples had tested positive for B.1.617.2 (Delta)," the statement said.

"There was no case of Delta Plus reported among the aforementioned lot of sequenced samples," the statement said.

On Friday, Tripura had said it has found 138 cases of Delta Plus, 10 cases of Delta and three cases of UK variant.

Tripura Health Department sources said they have sought clarifications from the Health Ministry about the coding of Delta Plus, Delta and other variants of coronavirus.