On Saturday, a senior state health department official stated that four people who returned recently to Gujarat from the United Kingdom (UK) were tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus infection.

He further said that results of the 15 samples tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival in Ahmedabad from the UK and are pending with the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

Principal Secretary (Health), Jayanti Ravi said that all the passengers who reached Ahmedabad from the UK underwent screening and the samples of those passengers who tested positive for coronavirus were sent to the NIV. They received warning that the UK strain of coronavirus is detected in four passengers. According to the Centres guidelines, all these four patients were kept in isolation at Ahmedabads SVP Hospital.

The Union Health ministry said that the government of India took cognisance of the coronavirus reports from the UK and has started a proactive and preventive strategy to detect and hold the mutant variant of coronavirus. This strategy comprises a temporary suspension of all the flights that comefrom England with effect from the midnight of 23rd December till 7th January. Also, a mandatory testing of all UK- returned air passengers is conducted through RT-PCR test.

Source: ET Healthworld