Victims of UK strain of Covid-19 rises to seven in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The number of persons who have tested positive for new strain of coronavirus that has originated in the United Kingdom, has gone up to seven in the State. All of them are returnees from UK, said Health and Medical Education Minister Dr K. Sudhakar

"Four of the patients travelled to Shivamogga district and three of their seven contacts have tested positive for Covid-19. All of them are under quarantine and we will send their samples for genetic sequencing. This is not new to us because we have managed it when the passengers flow was huge, so now we are prepared well to track them. But the public should also be supportive and take necessary steps to stay safe," the minister said.

On Tuesday it was reported that three more UK returnees tested positive for the new variant genome of Sars-Cov-2 virus, according to the initial results of genome sequencing released by the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog) labs.

Health department said that two victims of the new strain – a 35-year-old woman and her six-year-old daughter - are from Rajajinagar in Bengaluru. Another patient is from R R Nagar and all their primary and secondary contacts have been traced and they have tested negative. The apartment in Vasanthapura ward in Rajajinagar where the woman and her daughter live, has been sealed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

BBMP official reports said that the apartment has been sealed as per the Standard Operating Procedure issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. All the primary contacts will be admitted in an institutional quarantine facility. "The residents of the apartment are also under home quarantine," said an official of BBMP.

The Karnataka government has roped in the Bengaluru police, BBMP and Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to trace those UK returnees who have not yet reported for Covid testing.