Has Covid's Lambda Variant Reached India? This Is What Government Said

NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul said the Lambda variant is a variant of interest so its total significance is still being explored.

No case of the Lambda variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been found in India so far, the government said today. Responding to a question at a press briefing, Joint Secretary in the health ministry, Lav Agarwal, said Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is closely monitoring the variant. "Lambda was the seventh variant of interest identified by the WHO (World Health Organisation) on June 14 and it has been detected in 25 countries," he said. "In our country, no cases have been reported and INSACOG is monitoring it and we are watchful. In Peru, 80 per cent infections were from this variant. It has also been found in South American countries and also in the UK and European countries, and any public health impact will be monitored," Mr Agarwal said.