Kejriwal faces backlash over tweet on Singapore strain; Ministers too call out his ‘bluff’
Kejriwal on Tuesday had cautioned Centre about a 'new Singapore COVID-19 variant' that can hurt children the most.
New Delhi: A day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claim over ‘new Singapore COVID-19 variant’, has been strongly refuted by the Singapore government.
Following which Kejriwal faced backlash over his tweet on Singapore strain, Ministers also called it ‘bluff’.
EAM Dr S Jaishankar said, “Singapore and India have been solid partners in the fight against #COVID19…However, irresponsible comments from those who should know better can damage long-standing partnerships. So, let me clarify- Delhi CM does not speak for India”
Singapore and India have been solid partners in the fight against Covid-19.
Appreciate Singapore’s role as a logistics hub and oxygen supplier. Their gesture of deploying military aircraft to help us speaks of our exceptional relationship. @VivianBala https://t.co/x7jcmoyQ5a
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 19, 2021
Earlier, Indian Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri asserted that “there are no flight coming in from Singapore, there is no bubble, only Vande Bharat.” Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday said that there is no truth in the references in reports in a section of Indian media about the presence of a new variant of coronavirus in the country, adding that there is no “Singapore variant”.
If only.
If only Mr Arvind Kejriwal had focused on managing oxygen supplies & hospital beds instead of self-publicity, this picture today would not cruelly remind us of the many lives lost due to lack of these empty beds when they were most needed. pic.twitter.com/QjHGeCldvq
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 18, 2021
It said that the strain that is prevalent in many of the COVID-19 cases in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India.
A statement by Singapore’s Ministry of Health (MOH) referred to media reports in a section of media citing remarks of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“There is no truth whatsoever in the assertions found within the reports. There is no “Singapore variant”. The strain that is prevalent in many of the COVID-19 cases in recent weeks is the B.1.617.2 variant, which originated in India. Phylogenetic testing has shown this B.1.617.2 variant to be associated with several clusters in Singapore,” the statement said.
Kejriwal on Tuesday had cautioned Centre about a ‘new Singapore COVID-19 variant’ that can hurt children the most.
In a tweet, Kejriwal said, “The new COVID variant in 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 to be cancelled with immediate effect
2. Priority on vaccine options should be worked out for children too.”