It has not yet been confirmed whether these passengers have been infected with the new variant of the virus.
PTI
A total of 18 people who returned from the UK and other European countries to Kerala have tested positive for the coronavirus, though it is not yet confirmed if they are infected with the new genetic variant of the virus, state Health Minister KK Shailaja told the media on Tuesday. The Minister said that four airports in the state have started special screenings for the passengers who returned from the UK or other European countries. “Eighteen people have so far turned positive, but we are not sure if it is the new variant of the coronavirus. Samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. We haven’t received any official information yet,” the Minister said, adding that the state is getting ready to combat the new variant of the virus. The Health Minister also pointed that people should exercise caution, even though full lockdown regulations are not in place. She urged people to maintain physical distancing and wash hands regularly to prevent the spread of COVID-19. On Tuesday, the Union government said that six people in the country who returned from the UK had tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus. Three of the positive samples among those were tested at NIMHANS in Bengaluru, two at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad and one from NIV Pune. Among these, one person who tested positive hails from Tamil Nadu and is currently under treatment at King’s Institute in Guindy in the state. As per the Union government, between November 25 and December 23, about 33,000 passengers have come to India from the UK. Among this, 114 people were found to have COVID-19. The new variant of coronavirus, widely reported in the UK, is found to be 70 percent more transmissible than existing variants. After the mutant variant was discovered, many countries including India, had cancelled flights to and from the UK. The Health Ministry has formed an Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) for laboratory and epidemiological surveillance for expanding whole genome sequencing of the coronavirus in India. This will help officials to understand how the virus evolves and spreads. Read: Explained: What we know of the new mutant strain of coronavirus in UK
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