80% of COVID cases in Punjab are due to UK variant: Health Minister

New Delhi: Pointing out that the local body elections, marriages and farmer's protests had lead to a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, Union Minister for Health, Dr. harsh Vardhan also warned that over 80% of the infections in Punjab were due to the newer and more contagious strain of the virus from the UK.

The minister revealed that the findings had been confirmed by "genome sequencing" in a meeting held with eleven Health Ministers from across the country to review the situation caused by the pandemic in the country.

"Worst-affected states, Chattisgarh, Raipur and Durg are seeing a spike in cases. 20 per cent positivity rate and growth rate is 8 per cent from 400 to 4,000 has risen, almost 10 folds," Mr Vardhan was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Regarding the spike in cases in places in Maharashtra as well as Delhi, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that 50 central teams had been deployed by the government to affected districts in Maharashtra, Punjab and Chattisgarh.

"30 districts of Maharashtra, 11 districts of Chattisgarh and 9 districts of Punjab will be covered. They will stay 3-5 days in these districts," he informed," the minister revealed.

India's total number of infections is now at 1,26,86,049 cases, with an additional 96,982 cases reported in the last 24 hours.