The Singapore government has said that the new mutations of coronavirus , particularly the B.1.167 Covid variant, were affecting younger children and it would shut all schools as it prepares to close all schools from Wednesday. Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a press briefing that the strain, B.1.617, "appears to affect children more". However, there is no official confirmation at this stage on how many children have been affected by the new variant of Covid-19 in Singapore. The country has so far reported over 60,000 coronavirus cases and just 31 Covid-linked deaths. It has reportedly already spread to over 40 nations and several countries have put travel restrictions for passengers coming from India as a result of the spike in coronavirus cases here.

Source: Mint May 18, 2021 17:41 UTC