Himachal Pradesh reports 76 cases of Delta variant of COVID-19

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 29 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh has reported 76 cases of Delta variant of COVID-19, as per the data released by the State Health Department on Tuesday.
As per the data, out of the total cases, Dr Y S P Nahan reported 49, Dr RKGMC Hamirpur reports 2 cases, IGMC Shimla 1, SLBSGMC Nerchowk 4, Dr RPGMC Tanda 1, HBT Palampur 19.
The B.1.617.2 variant of COVID-19 is believed to have led to a devastating second wave of the pandemic in India, crippling healthcare infrastructure in the country and resulting in thousands of deaths every day.
The WHO earlier this month informed that the B.1.617 variant of COVID-19, first found in India in October last year, had been detected in sequences uploaded "from more than 40 countries in all six WHO regions".
The coronavirus variant, first identified in India last year, has been classified as a "variant of global concern", with some preliminary studies showing that it spreads more easily, a senior WHO official informed. It is the fourth variant to be designated as being of "global concern".
The WHO also revealed that the variant has three sub-lineages. "Our team has been discussing with our virus evolution group. Everything we know about it in terms of transferability, studies that are being done, in India as well as in other countries where this virus is circulating. It is important to note that B.1.617 has three sub-lineages- .1, .2, .3," Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical lead COVID-19 at WHO. (ANI)