<p>Nine more patients with the UK strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus, taking the total number of infections of the mutant strain to 38 and prompting the Centre to advise states to step up surveillance and containment measures.</p>.<p>“A total of 38 samples have been found to be positive with the new UK variant genome,” a health ministry statement said on Monday.</p>.<p>On Friday, the total number of Covid-19 patients with the UK strain was 29.</p>.<p>As of date, 11 samples of the mutant strain have been detected at IGIB, New Delhi, NIMHANS-Bengaluru (10), NCDC-New Delhi (8), NIV-Pune (5), CCMB-Hyderabad (3) and NCBG-Kolkata (1).</p>.<p>“The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs,” a health ministry statement said.</p>.<p>The Centre has set up 10 INSACOG labs for genome sequencing of the UK returnees and their contacts who have tested positive for Covid-19.</p>.<p>Besides the six labs that have detected the mutant strain, NCBS-InSTEM in Bengaluru, CDFD in Hyderabad, ILS in Bhubaneswar and NCCS in Pune have been designated as INSACOG labs.</p>.<p>So far the new UK variant of the coronavirus has already been detected in Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.</p>.<p>India is set to resume flights to Britain from Wednesday and start receiving air travellers from the European nation two days later.</p>.<p>The government has put in place standard operating procedures for passengers from Britain that include a RT-PCR negative report before boarding the flight and a self-paid RT-PCR test on arrival in India.</p>.<p>Samples of passengers who test positive will be sent for genome sequencing be kept in institutional quarantine facilities.</p>
<p>Nine more patients with the UK strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus, taking the total number of infections of the mutant strain to 38 and prompting the Centre to advise states to step up surveillance and containment measures.</p>.<p>“A total of 38 samples have been found to be positive with the new UK variant genome,” a health ministry statement said on Monday.</p>.<p>On Friday, the total number of Covid-19 patients with the UK strain was 29.</p>.<p>As of date, 11 samples of the mutant strain have been detected at IGIB, New Delhi, NIMHANS-Bengaluru (10), NCDC-New Delhi (8), NIV-Pune (5), CCMB-Hyderabad (3) and NCBG-Kolkata (1).</p>.<p>“The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs,” a health ministry statement said.</p>.<p>The Centre has set up 10 INSACOG labs for genome sequencing of the UK returnees and their contacts who have tested positive for Covid-19.</p>.<p>Besides the six labs that have detected the mutant strain, NCBS-InSTEM in Bengaluru, CDFD in Hyderabad, ILS in Bhubaneswar and NCCS in Pune have been designated as INSACOG labs.</p>.<p>So far the new UK variant of the coronavirus has already been detected in Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.</p>.<p>India is set to resume flights to Britain from Wednesday and start receiving air travellers from the European nation two days later.</p>.<p>The government has put in place standard operating procedures for passengers from Britain that include a RT-PCR negative report before boarding the flight and a self-paid RT-PCR test on arrival in India.</p>.<p>Samples of passengers who test positive will be sent for genome sequencing be kept in institutional quarantine facilities.</p>
