Two more UK returnees test Covid positive in Telangana
Dec 26, 2020
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 26 : Two United Kingdom returnees and three of their contacts, tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, taking the tally for such cases in the state to 18.
Director of the State Department of Public Health and Family Welfare, Dr G Srinivasa Rao told reporters, "Two more of the UK returnees who underwent Covid tests have been confirmed positive. Both are from Malkajgiri district. A total of 18 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus so far. Among the positive candidates, four were from Hyderabad, six from Medchal Malkajgiri district, two from Jagityal district, one each from Manchiryala, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet and Warangal urban districts."
Dr Rao further said: "The Telangana Medical Health Department is on high alert in the wake of the arrival of a new strain of coronavirus. We use tracing, testing and treatment to prevent the spread of the virus."
"We are collecting details of those from the United Kingdom and examining their health condition. Since December 9, 1,216 people have come to Telangana from the UK. We identified 937 of them and performed corona tests," he added.
He further said: "We kept 18 people in special wards in various hospitals. We identified 18 out of 79 people who were hypersensitive, placed them in quarantine and examined their health condition. Three contacts have tested Covid-19 positive among them."
"Samples of all those who came positive were sent to Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) for genome sequencing to find out which virus were they affected from. The results will come in another two days," he added.
Dr Rao further informed: "Of those who returned from the UK, 92 were from other states. We have provided information to the respective states. Details of the other 184 are not comprehensive. Their addresses and phone numbers are incorrect. We are trying to trace them all."
"Those who have come directly to the state from the UK after December 9 or have travelled through the UK are kindly requested to provide their details by calling 040-24651119 or WhatsApp to 9154170960. Medical health staff go to their home and perform medical tests," he added.
Last week, the new strain of the coronavirus was detected in the UK. As per the experts, this strain is more transmissible than other SARS-CoV-2 variants.
A total of 317 new Covid-19 cases, 536 discharges and two deaths were reported in Telangana on Friday, said the State Health Department.
