KEJRIWAL URGES CENTRE TO CALL OFF ALL FLIGHTS TO, FROM S’PORE
NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday requested the Centre to suspend flights to and from Singapore with immediate effect in the wake of an alleged new variant detected in that country, which is suspected to affect more children.
Hours later, Union aviation minister Hardeep Puri replied to Kejriwal saying no flight, except a few under the Centre’s Vande Bharat mission (to bring back Indians), is operating between India and Singapore.
Kejriwal said the alleged new variant could mark the advent of the third wave of Covid in the country and urged the Centre to give priority to identifying vaccines for children.
The chief minister’s comments came in the wake of Singapore shutting schools from Wednesday as it is suspected the variant to affect more children.
“The new form of Covid-19 that has come to Singapore is being said to be extremely dangerous for children. In India, it may come as a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Air services with Singapore be cancelled with immediate effect 2. Priority on vaccine options should be worked out for children too,” the chief minister said in a tweet in Hindi.
Union minister Puri replied to Kejriwal saying international flights are shut since March, 2020.
“Kejriwal ji, international flights are shut since March 2020. We do not even have an air bubble with Singapore. We are only bringing back Indians who are stranded there through some Vande Bharat flights. They are our own people only. Still, we are closely monitoring the situation. All precautions are being taken,” he tweeted in Hindi.
The variant in question appeared to be the one first detected in India -- the B.1.617 -and is believed to be widely spreading in the country.
Officials in Singapore on Tuesday countered Kejriwal’s assertion and said the variant prevalent in many Covid-19 cases in recent weeks was the “B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India”.
When asked about the alleged new variant during the Union health ministry’s routine press briefing, Dr VK Paul, member (health), Niti Aayog, said the Centre was examining the matter.