Arvind Kejriwal appeals Centre to cancel flights from Singapore over virus strain 'very dangerous' for kids

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. File Pic

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday appealed to the Central government to immediately cancel all air services with Singapore, saying a new strain of coronavirus there is said to be "very dangerous" for children.

"The new form of coronavirus in Singapore is said to be very dangerous for children. It could reach Delhi in the form of a third wave. My appeal to the Central government: 1. Cancel all air services with Singapore with immediate effect 2. Work on vaccine alternatives for children on a priority basis," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.

As per various news reports, Singapore has decided to close schools from Wednesday as authorities warned of new coronavirus strains, like the one first detected in India, were affecting more children there.

Also Read: Time to revive the institution called family doctors

This comes at a time when concerns are being raised over a third wave in India, which many experts claim is likely to affect children. The first wave affected the elderly the most, and youngsters have been infected in the second wave, they had pointed out.

The government's Principal Scientific Adviser K Vijay Raghavan had also warned that a third wave is "inevitable" and suggested that vaccines need to be "updated" to deal with the emerging strains.

(with inputs from mid-day online correspondent)