The number of the new variant of UK mutated COVID-19 strain cases in India climbed to 96 after six new cases have been detected on Monday, said Union Health Ministry. The number of the new COVID cases was 90 till Saturday.
The ministry said, "The total number of persons found infected with the mutant UK strain of Covid-19 is 96."
The ministry had earlier said all these people were kept in single-room isolation at designated healthcare facilities by the respective state governments.
The close contacts of the people infected with the new variant of the virus have also been put under quarantine and a comprehensive contact-tracing exercise has been initiated for the co-travellers, family members, and others, the ministry said, adding that the genome sequencing of other specimens is going on.
The situation is being monitored and regular advice is being given to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG laboratories.
The presence of the new UK variant of the coronavirus has been reported by several countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon, and Singapore.
