Indian variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 detected in Melbourne
What does this mean and what should I do?
COVID-19 restrictions are being reimposed in Melbourne as authorities try to find the source of an outbreak in the city's north. Credit: Sandra Sanders/Reuters
Evidence of a SARS-CoV-2 strain was recently detected in Melbourne wastewater, leading to the detection of 15 locally acquired cases of COVID-19. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has confirmed that the strain is the B1.617 variant first detected in India.
The strain was genetically linked to the man who contracted the virus while in Adelaide hotel quarantine.
What is the B1.617 variant?