India on Saturday recorded eight fresh cases of the new mutant variant of coronavirus, taking the tally of this infection in the country to 90, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said.
“Number of persons infected with the UK mutant strain of Covid-19 in India stands at 90,” a statement by Union Health Ministry read.
The rise in cases comes a day after flights from the United Kingdom to India resumed in a limited capacity amid concerns about the new strain of the coronavirus that was recently detected in the UK.
India reported its first case of the infection last month on December 30 after six travellers tested positive for the UK variant of coronavirus upon return from Britain. The new United Kingdom variant genome of Sars-CoV-2 – B.1.1.7, which is much more infectious, has prompted comprehensive contact tracing for co-travellers, family members and others of those who have travelled to the UK in the last 38 days.
From November 25 to December 23, 2020, midnight, about 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from the UK. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by states to RT-PCR tests to detect Covid-19.
Countries like Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore have also reported the cases of the new variant so far.
The first flight carrying 256 passengers arrived in Delhi on Friday from London.
The ban on flights to the UK was lifted on January 6. Thirty flights will operate each week – 15 each by Indian and UK carriers. This schedule will continue till January 23, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had informed earlier.
Passengers will have to take an RT-PCR test up to 72 hours before a flight and on arrival.
According to the special surveillance report issued on Thursday by the central government, a total of 4,858 people have been traced who travelled between India and the UK after the cases of infection by new variant came to light.
