The state governments are trying their level best to track down covid-19 infected people who returned from the United Kingdom in the past two weeks. In the same process, as of now, the total number of infected people in the state has reached to 16 with nine more people testing positive for the virus in Telangana on Friday.
All the 16 samples have been sent to the Centre for Cellular and Micro Biology for genome sequencing in order to verify if any of these samples contain newly mutated B.1.1.7 variant in the UK. Their reports are expected in two or three days, the health officials said.
Director of Public Health Dr G. Srinivas Rao said that those found infected have been kept in special wards in different hospitals in order to prevent the further spread of infection until their reports come out.
A total number of 1,200 people came to Telangana from the United Kingdom sicne Demeber 9. As on date, 926 people have been tested for covid-19, the officials said.
Out of 16 people who tested positive, four each are from Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri. Two from Jagtial district were also found infected while individual each from Mancherial, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet and Warangal Urban districts also tested positive.
“The coronavirus positive patients are receiving treatment in exclusive health ward in government hospitals, while their 76 close contacts are under institutional quarantine,” an official said.
In other updates related to that new covid variant, France has reported the first case of the mutant. The French health ministry on Saturday said that a Frenchman who recently arrived back in France from London had tested positive for the new variant of the coronavirus.