A new strain of the coronavirus was detected in the UK last week and as per the experts, this strain is more transmissible compared to other SARS-CoV-2 variants. Telangana on high alert! 279 UK returnees untraceable, wrong phone numbers and addresses given by 184.
1,216 people have arrived in Telangana from the UK since December 9 and 92 of them belong to other states.
Around 279 passengers have returned recently from the UK to Telangana are untraceable, state health officials said on Saturday. 59 new cases have been recorded taking the number of newly caught infections in passengers back from Britain rose to 119 nationwide since last Sunday.
According to the Telangana Police, 184 people had given wrong phone numbers and addresses.
They further informed that at least 92 untraceable returnees are from the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka.
State Director of Public Health G. Srinivasa Rao has said that people who have contracted the new type of virus need not worry., but persuaded people to ‘Report to the health department and get tested’. He also added that “They only need be vigilant, use the mask properly, follow physical distancing and wash their hands regularly,”.
Rao further said that out of the 1,216, 937 people have been identified and tested. Two persons were found positive .for the infectious disease on Saturday.
According to the state government release, 79 people who were in close contact of the 18 people infected with the new strain of COVID-19 have been sent to quarantine and their health condition is being monitored closely.
The samples of those who tested positive have been sent to the Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here for genome sequencing, according to sources.
‘Telangana has been taking concrete steps to tackle the new strain’, Rao has persuaded people with a travel history to the UK to report to the health department. He said that the medical health staff will volunteer to visit their home and conduct tests. He also asserted that the state government was taking concrete steps to tackle the virus.
People who have come directly to the state from the UK after December 9 or have traveled through the UK have been requested to provide their details by calling 040-24651119 or WhatsApp to 9154170960.
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