People who returned from UK must undergo RT-PCR test: Karnataka Health Minister

In a view of the new strain of Coronavirus emerging in the United Kingdom, the Karnataka Health Minister, Dr Sudhakar K on Monday requested people to undergo RT-PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test. "We request people who have returned from abroad in the last 14 days especially from the countries including United Kingdom, Netherlands and Denmark to undergo RT-PCR test, in view of the new strain of coronavirus," Sudhakar said while talking to media.

He further said, "We have understood that this virus can spread quickly and this property is highly contagious. We need to take utmost precautionary measures."Precautionary measures should be taken to contain spread of mutated variant of Coronavirus, he added. Passengers who are RT-PCR negative shall be under strict home quarantine for 14 days. Contact details of all such passengers should be informed to District Surveillance Officers for quarantine follow-up, according to the circular issued by the state government.

Flight services from UK to India have been suspended till December 31 as a precautionary measure of overspread of a new strain of coronavirus in London and England. On December 20, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed the public that a new variant of the COVID-19 virus has been found in UK.

He tweeted, "Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned." (ANI)