Official Statement Of Health Ministry Confirming 6 Positive Cases Of Mutant Variant

29 Dec, 2020 11:55 IST

HYDERABAD: 6 UK returnees have now been tested positive for coronavirus. These 6 cases are of the new mutant strain of COVID-19.

“A total of 6 samples of 6 UK returnee persons have been found to be positive with the new U.K variant genome. 3 in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, 2 in CCMB,Hyderabad and 1 in NIV, Pune,” read the statement released by the Health ministry.

All patients have been kept in single room isolation in designated healthcare facilities by the state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been started for co-travelers, their families and others.

"The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing & dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs," added the statement.

From 25th November to midnight of 23rd December 2020, around 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from the UK. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected to RT-PCR tests. Among these 114 have been tested positive and 6 of them are of mutant strain. Most of the UK returnees have been tested, but some are difficult to trace. Every state’s government is trying to track these passengers.

To keep the situation in control, India temporarily banned all flights coming from the UK. The ban came into effect on December 23rd midnight and will last till 31st December 2020.

The presence of the new UK strain has already been reported in countries like Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, Australia, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, japan, Singapore and Lebanon. 

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