E-Paper
102 cases of UK mutant strain in India so far, confirms health minister
Flights from the UK have resumed from January 8. Till Monday, the number was 96.
The number of people infected with the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in India has crossed 100 and reached 102 at present, the Union health ministry confirmed on Wednesday. On Monday, the number was 96.
Flights from the UK have resumed from January 8. To contain the spread of the virus, the Delhi government has imposed additional restrictions on people coming from the UK to Delhi. Every passenger — irrespective of their test result — will have to undergo a seven-day institutional quarantine in Delhi. No other city has imposed such restrictions so far.
People who are testing positive of the new virus, known to be a far more contagious strain, viare kept in single-room isolation at designated healthcare facilities by the respective state governments, the department said earlier.
Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine and a comprehensive contact-tracing exercise has been initiated for the co-travellers, family members and others, the ministry said, adding that the genome sequencing of other specimens is going on.
The situation is being monitored and regular advice is being given to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG laboratories.
The presence of the new UK variant of the coronavirus has been reported by several countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.
