While Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state in the country with COVID-19, a virus with double mutation has been detected.
According to a report by Indian Express, "scientific institutes tasked with genome sequencing of the Covid-19 virus in the country have alerted the Centre on a virus variant with double mutation in Maharashtra."
Researchers are probing the role of the virus variation in spike in COVID cases.
However, senior scientists have asserted that there is no evidence yet to attribute the surge in Maharashtra to the variant.
India detected 28,903 cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, of which 17,864 cases were from Maharashtra ¡ª the highest since September 30 last year.
The Covid-19 surge in Mumbai through the month of March continued as 1,922 cases were reported on Tuesday, taking the tally here to 3,47,581.
At least 188 deaths were reported on Tuesday, with 87 casualties from Maharashtra and 38 from Punjab.?
Amid the surge in India, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the Centre was ¡°striking a sensible balance¡± in sending vaccines abroad, and none sent to the 72 countries so far was at the expense of the people of India.