At least three more people, who returned to Kolkata from London on December 20, have been detected with Covid-19, prompting authorities to send their samples to sequence the genome to determine if they were infected with the newer and more contagious. strain of disease found. in the United Kingdom.
“All three have been kept in isolation in a state hospital in Kolkata,” said a health department official.
Previously, two people, who had returned on the same flight on December 20, were detected with Covid-19. It was later discovered that one of them carried the new strain.
All five were among the 222 passengers, who arrived in Kolkata from London on December 20. That was the last flight to arrive from London before the government suspended all flights from the UK from 23 December.
A trial for Covid-19 vaccination was separately scheduled to launch in West Bengal on Saturday. Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat previously conducted dry trials.
“Three areas in the North 24 Parganas district – Amdanga, Duttabad and Madhyamgram – have been selected for the trial in West Bengal,” said a second official.
Of the 5.53,000 Covid-19 cases in West Bengal, at least 11.60.00 cases have been recorded in North 24 Parganas, followed by 12.30.00 in Kolkata.
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