Uttar Pradesh: Two cases of the highly transmissible Kappa variant of COVID-19 have been detected in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Government of Uttar Pradesh witnessed this variant through the genome sequencing of the samples. The samples were returned positive for the variant in Lucknow’s King George Medical College.

In a statement issued by the Chief Minister, Shri Yogi Adityanath, “both the variants are not new for the state. The facility of genome sequencing is being increased in the state.” The minister further added that the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19 was also found in 107 samples.

The present daily positivity rate in Uttar Pradesh is 0.04 per cent. The Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Shri Amit Mohan Prasad said that cases of Kappa variant have been found in the state previously also. 

Uttar Pradesh official data claims that of the new fatalities linked to the COVID-19, three were reported from Etah, two each from Amethi and Shahjahanpur, one each from Siddharth Nagar, Pratap Garh, and Moradabad. Even as the virulent second wave of infections seems to be ebbing, the state government of Uttar Pradesh is on the watch as variants Delta, Alpha, and Kappa are more transmissible.