Several UK Return Flyers Are Untraceable, Could Hamper Fight To Stop The New Strain Of COVID

Though the new strain of the COVID-19 virus that first surfaced in the UK has not been reported in India so far, there is a fear that the failure to trace all those with recent travel history to the country may result in the virus, which is more infectious getting silently transmitted.

The government had recently issued SOPs for those with travel history to the UK, which includes a mandatory RT-PCR test for all passengers who have come back between December 21 and 23.

Reuters

If they are detected to be carrying the current COVID-19 strain, they will be administered the ongoing treatment protocol, including home isolation or treatment at the facility level depending on the severity of the disease.

If the person is found to be carrying the new variant of SARS-CoV-2, then he/she will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit.

Those testing negative in RT-PCR tests conducted at airports would be advised to stay under home quarantine.

AP

"All the contacts (without any exception) of those travellers who arrived at various airports on 21st-23rd December 2020 and tested positive would be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centres and would be tested as per ICMR guidelines."

Further, those international travellers from the UK who have arrived in India from November 25 to December 8 (1st and 2nd week from November 25) will be contacted by District Surveillance Officers and advised to self-monitor their health.

While the SOP is in place there have been reports from various parts of the country, including from Delhi where recent UK-return passengers have become untraceable.

AFP

According to the Indian Express, five Covid-positive flyers from the UK went untraceable after landing at the Delhi airport on Tuesday.

While three of them were traced by Tuesday night and admitted to Lok Nayak hospital in the capital, one managed to reach Ludhiana while another reached Andhra Pradesh, before they were brought back on Wednesday.

According to reports, the Anglo-India woman from Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh had arrived in Delhi on a flight from the UK on the 21st and underwent an RT-PCR test on arrival she was placed in quarantine with symptoms of a new coronavirus.

However, she fled from there and took a train to Rajahmundry. The railway police on Wednesday found she was travelling in the first class coach of a train from Delhi to Rajahmundry.

Several states have also made a 14-day home quarantine mandatory for all those who have returned from the UK.

Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister K. Sudhakar said that the health department is keeping a tight vigil on the passengers who returned from the UK to Bengaluru after November 25.

BCCL

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the members of the Karnataka Technical Advisory Committee (K-TAC) for Covid-19 at the Chief Minister's home office, Sudhakar said that those who returned from the UK in the last one month will undergo 28 days' compulsory quarantine.

"Health officials will take care of their health for the initial 14 days. After that the individuals will have to voluntarily restrict themselves at their respective homes," he said.

According to the minister, as many as 2,500 passengers have arrived in the state during this period.

According to officials in Telangana, a total of 1,200 passengers had arrived in the state since December 9 from the UK.

Out of this, 358 had returned on Monday and but the officials had only managed to trace 158 of them in the first 24 hours.