An 80-year-old woman, who was among the 22 COVID-19 patients detected with Delta Plus variant, died in Ratnagiri, reported The Indian Express. This is the first such death reported in the state. The woman passed away on June 13 and officials in Ratnagiri said they received official communication on June 20 that she was infected with the Delta Plus variant.
Village Declared Containment Zone
The woman belonged to Ozarkhol village in Sangameshwar taluka, and it was declared a containment zone almost 20 days after she tested positive. "As soon as we were informed that she was infected with the Delta Plus variant, we began to take containment measures," a district official told the newspaper. The officials have collected over 350 swab samples from the village to carry out RT-PCR tests.
Health Minister Rajesh Tope said that the Delta Plus variant is not a dominant variant and the officials are collecting more swab samples in order to conduct genome sequencing and map its spread in the district.
Level 3 Restrictions In Place
As Maharashtra recorded the first death due to Delta Plus variant and the variant has been declared as a variant of concern, all the administrative units will be placed under the level 3 of restrictions, irrespective of weekly positivity rate and oxygen bed occupancy. Under this level all shops will be allowed to operate till 4 pm and malls, theatres, and multiplexes will remain closed. Restaurants will be allowed to open until 4 pm with 50 per cent seating capacity. Only takeaways will be allowed after 4 pm.
Meanwhile, the Centre on Friday, June 25, said 51 cases of Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus have been detected across 12 states in the country, with Maharashtra reporting the highest number at 22.
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