Bhubaneswar: Denizens of Odisha now can breathe a sigh of relief. Odisha government’s Health and Family Welfare Department (H&FW) said Thursday that the new strain of the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in anyone who has returned from the United Kingdom (UK).
The H&FW Department also informed that six samples of the UK returnees were sent for genome testing to Delhi and Pune. The reports from the tests carried out in Delhi states the absence of the new strain of coronavirus, said Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary, H&FW Department,
Senior officials of the department said 204 swab samples of UK returnees had been sent to Pune for testing following the protocols of the central government. However, the new mutated strain still has not been detected. Reports on all the tests will be available in a day or two, officials informed.
Niranjan Mishra, Director Public Health said, “The new mutant COVID strain was not detected in any of the samples tested. However, seven UK returnees have tested positive for COVID-19.”
Mishra also said that initially the department had drawn up a list of 188 UK returnees. On verification it was discovered that there was duplication of seven names. Out of the 181 remaining returnees, 179 have been traced.
As per the H&FW Departmental total 181 people had returned to Odisha from the UK. The Odisha government had conducted COVID-19 test on 160 returnees and 44 other people who had come contact with them. Out of them seven persons including four UK returnees tested positive for COVID-19, said the department.
A total of 62 persons returned from the UK to the state capital in the month of December so far. The authorities have so far succeeded in tracing 58 till Wednesday evening. Data regarding four of the returnees are yet to be collected, the BMC said.
PNN
