Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's statement comes on a day when India reported first six cases the mutant strain among people who returned from the UK.
Photo used for representational purpose
Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that he foresees ‘a short extension’ of the temporary suspension of flights from the UK over a new strain of the coronavirus.
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His statement comes on a day when India reported first six cases the mutant strain among people who returned from the UK.
The samples of six UK returnees in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune have been found to be positive with the new variant genome, the central government said on Tuesday, adding that they have been kept in a single-room-isolation in designated healthcare facilities.
“I foresee a short extension on this temporary suspension. I don't see the extension to be long or indefinite,” said Hardeep Singh Puri.
The British government had recently announced that the newly identified strain of the virus found in their population is up to 70 per cent more transmissible. This had prompted the Indian authorities to suspend flights to and from the UK till December 31.
Pursuant to this, the government found that about 33,000 passengers had disembarked at various Indian airports from the UK from November 25 to December 23 midnight. All these passengers were tracked and subjected by the states and UTs to the RT-PCR tests. So far only 114 have been found positive. These positive samples were then sent to 10 labs.
"A total of six samples of six UK returnee persons have been found to be positive with the new UK variant genome. Three in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, two in CCMB, Hyderabad and one in NIV, Pune. All these persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated Healthcare facilities by the respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine," the health ministry said.
Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on. The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to the INSACOG labs, the ministry added.
It is important to note that the presence of the new UK Variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.
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