Stop Singapore flights, Kejriwal tells Centre amid concerns of new Covid strain

The Delhi CM said this new Singapore strain could mark the advent of the third wave of Covid-19 in the country and urged the Centre to give priority to identifying vaccines for children to fight the virus

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday requested the Centre to suspend flights to and from Singapore with immediate effect in the wake of a new strain detected in that country which is suspected to affect more children. Kejriwal said this new Singapore strain could mark the advent of the third wave of Covid-19 in the country and urged the Centre to give priority to identifying vaccines for children to fight the virus.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. (HT archive)

Kejriwal’s comments came in the wake of a new strain of Covid-19 detected in Singapore, forcing it to shut schools from Wednesday as it is suspected to affect more children, like the Indian strain of the virus.

“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.

Singapore warned on Sunday that the new coronavirus variants, such as the one first detected in India, were affecting more children, as the city-state prepared to shut most schools from this week and drew up plans to vaccinate youngsters.

All primary, secondary and junior colleges will shift to full home-based learning from Wednesday until the end of the school term on May 28.

"Some of these (virus) mutations are much more virulent, and they seem to attack the younger children," said education minister Chan Chun Sing.

(With agency inputs)