[ad_1]
MUMBAI: Five people who came to India from Britain tested positive for the new coronavirus, a government official said today, but it was unclear if they had a highly infectious new strain of the virus.
India has the second highest number of infections in the world after the United States, with a figure that surpassed 10 million over the weekend. More than 146,000 people have died from Covid-19 in India.
The Aviation Ministry yesterday announced the suspension of all flights from Britain from tomorrow until the end of the month, and made it mandatory for all passengers arriving before the ban takes effect to be tested for the virus.
Five of the 266 passengers and crew who arrived in New Delhi on a flight from Britain last night tested positive for the coronavirus, said government official Awanish Kumar, who is helping coordinate tests at the New Airport. Delhi.
“It’s not clear … NCDC will confirm this,” Kumar said in a text message when asked if any of the five had the new strain of the virus. He was referring to the National Center for Disease Control.
The discovery of the new strain, just months before vaccines are expected to become widely available, sowed a new panic in a pandemic that has killed around 1.7 million people worldwide and more than 67,000. in Great Britain.
At least two other flights from Britain have landed in India since the flight ban was announced, one in Mumbai and the other in the northern city of Amritsar.
The test results of the 240 people who arrived in Amritsar yesterday afternoon were due to be presented by Tuesday afternoon, government official Deepak Bhatia said. – Reuters
[ad_2]
