Amid rising precautions over the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus in the UK, six passengers from the country—one in Chennai and five in Delhi—have tested positive for the pathogen.
The samples have been sent to identify whether the passengers are carrying the new strains of the virus, and the passengers have been sent to the care center, reported news agency ANI. Further details are awaited.
Five out of 266 passengers & crew members of a flight which arrived at Delhi airport from London last night have tested positive for COVID-19. Their samples have been sent to NCDC for research & they have been sent to care centre: Nodal officer for COVID-19
— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2020
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Twitter that the passengers who are found COVID-19-positive would be sent for institutional quarantine set up by states or union territories (UTs).
We have decided to take all necessary precautions as a result of the situation arising out of the spread of a new strain of coronavirus in some countries. All flights originating from U.K into India will be suspended temporarily from 22 Dec to 31 Dec 2020. @PMOIndia @HMOIndia https://t.co/Pn6mxKL1zM
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) December 21, 2020
“Those found negative should be advised to isolate at home for seven days and will be medically monitored by states/UTs,” Puri added.
Health department officials said on Tuesday, adding that the test sample has been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune to check whether it is the new mutant variant of the virus.
“One person who returned from the UK to Chennai via New Delhi has tested positive for coronavirus. The passenger was already under home isolation but once he tested positive, we have shifted him to King’s Institute for further treatment. All passengers who came from the UK are being monitored,” J Radhakrishnan, Principal Secretary (Health), told reporters.
No other details about the infected person were immediately available.
On Monday, India suspended all flights to and from the UK until December 31 as a precautionary measure following the discovery of the fast-spreading new Covid-19 variant in Britain.
The Indian government has suspended flights to London and all those who arrive from London will have to go a mandatory RT-PCR test and will have to remain in institutional quarantine till test results arrive.
The Tamil Nadu govt has decided to test all the people who have returned from the UK in the past 15 days.
Till now, people arriving in Chennai with COVID negative certificates were being exempted from tests and quarantine. However, it has been changed now by the administration.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week said a fast-moving new variant of the virus that is 70 percent more transmissible than existing strains appeared to be driving the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England in recent weeks. But he stressed “there’s no evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness,” or that vaccines will be less effective against it.
