Delhi govt starts tracking, testing all flyers into the Capital from the UK since November 25

The government had earlier decided to track and test all arrivals in Delhi from the UK over the past two weeks, an order that was tweaked late in the evening based on the central government’s guidelines.

The Delhi government on Tuesday said it has started tracing passengers who arrived in the national capital from the United Kingdom since November 25, amid fears of the spread of a new and more infectious strain of Covid-19 that has been detected in the UK. The government has also started door-to-door tracking of passengers who returned from the UK.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that nearly 7,000 passengers flew into the city from the UK in the last two weeks. (AP file photo)

The government had earlier decided to track and test all arrivals in Delhi from the UK over the past two weeks, an order that was tweaked late in the evening based on the central government’s guidelines.

All these arrivals will be tested using the gold standard reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method by district surveillance teams.

Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that nearly 7,000 passengers flew into the city from the UK in the last two weeks.

But, senior officials later said the number of passengers who actually reside in Delhi would be much lower.

A health official said separate isolation wards for the UK returnees who test positive, as per the latest Central government SOP, is being built in at least three Covid-19 facilities - the Sardar Patel Covid Centre and hospital in Chhatarpur, Lok Nayak Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Superspeciality Hospital .

Passengers will also be given the option of paid quarantine facility. Senior officials in the New Delhi district administration said Aloft hotel in Aerocity is going to be notified as the paid institutional isolation facility for the UK returnees who want to opt for it.

“In the last two weeks, about 6,000 to 7,000 people landed at the Delhi airport from the UK. This includes passengers who travelled to other places like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh or Haryana after landing in Delhi. Our teams have started a door-to-door survey to check on fliers who are residing in Delhi. They are being requested to self isolate themselves in their homes for seven days,” he said.

Delhi chief secretary Vijay Dev said as of now the exact number of passengers who are still residing in the Capital after arriving from the UK since November 25 is not known because the addresses and phone numbers are still being sent by the airport authorities, which is relayed to the districts immediately.

“The revenue department has been compiling this information from the civil aviation ministry and the immigration authorities. The lists have been territorially segregated district-wise and allocated to survey teams of the districts area-wise for surveillance and testing/tracking,” he said.

Jain said during the house-to-house survey, passengers are being asked about their health and the visiting medical teams check for Covid-19 like symptoms.

“Unlike usual Covid-19 cases, where an asymptomatic or mild patients are allowed to get treated under home isolation, if a UK returnee tests positive then s/he will have to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine. All samples of those who test positive will also be sent for genome sequencing. If the result of that comes as per the new strain then the person will continue to be under institutional quarantine for 14 days until he/she tests negative,” said a senior government official.

A member from one of over 700 surveillance teams in the city said the east district so far has identified 24 passengers who arrived from the UK and are residing in the district.

“But contact tracing is very difficult. Some phone numbers are invalid. Some addresses are given of Delhi but the person has moved out of the city. There are only 24 passengers we found who are actually staying in east district. They are being tested and checked for symptoms,” said the official.

Health minister Satyendar Jain, urged everyone to wear a mask when stepping out.