14 more people test positive for the UK covid-19 variant: Health Ministry

The total number of people testing positive for the new UK variant genome of Sars-Cov-2 virus has reached 20, Union ministry of health and family welfare announced on Wednesday based on the results of genome sequencing of positive samples released by the Indian Sars-Cov-2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog) labs.

The samples have so far been sequenced in 7 of the 10 designated labs across the country.

All these persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine.

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Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is currently going on.

From November 25 to December 23, 2020, midnight, about 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from UK.

All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by States to RT-PCR tests to detect Covid-19.

The designated 10 INSACOG labs are: NIBMG Kolkata, ILS Bhubaneswar, NIV Pune, CCS Pune, CCMB Hyderabad, CDFD Hyderabad, InSTEM Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, IGIB Delhi, NCDC Delhi.

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“The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing & dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs,” the health ministry statement said.

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, so far.