As many as 20 passengers from the United Kingdom tested positive for COVID-19 at airports in Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. State governments have initiated vigorous contract tracking of passengers who arrived from UK or other European countries in the past 10 days.
At least two people tested positive in Kolkata after returning from UK, said West Bengal health secretary NS Nigam, state health secretary.
One person has tested positive for COVID-19 out of 24 passengers who returned from the UK to Tamil Nadu, said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.
“We have also identified another 15 people who were in close contact with the positive person as they travelled together by Air India 553 domestic flight,” Radhakrishnan said. “They could have been exposed as they sat in rows adjacent to this (infected) individual. They are already in-home quarantine but we are going to test them too.”
The health department on priority is tracking the health of 1,088 passengers who came from England in the last seven days who are likely to be tested in the next stage. As per government’s SOP data of all international travellers who arrived after November 25 is being collected.
Seven passengers and a crew member who arrived from the UK in an Air India flight tested positive for COVID-19, Punjab minister for medical education and research, OP Soni told reporters, adding that those who tested positive for the infection will be quarantined. Six passengers at Delhi airport coming from the UK were also found positive for CoVID-19.
Four passengers including a British national who arrived at Ahmedabad yesterday morning by an Air India flight from London tested positive for COVID-19, a city civic official said.
The new more transmissible coronavirus strain detected in Britain has not yet been found in India, a senior government official said.