LUCKNOW: In light of a new, faster spreading mutant strain of novel coronavirus being detected in the United Kingdom, the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday announced starting an extensive contact tracing exercise to trace all passengers who arrived from Europe after December 7 and putting them under two-week surveillance.
It has also made it compulsory for all those coming from the UK to get themselves tested for Covid-19.
A senior official said the government has asked
the Airport Authority of India to furnish a list of passengers who arrived in UP from UK, Italy, France, Netherlands and other EU countries. “We will contact all these people and see if anyone has any symptoms. If they are, we will get them tested immediately and quarantine them if they test positive. Otherwise, the state will keep them under surveillance for a week or two to see if they develop symptoms later,” said a senior official.
Additional chief secretary, health, Amit Mohan Prasad said it is compulsory for those who have come from the UK to get themselves tested. He also appealed to those coming from other countries to get themselves tested.
“Flights from the UK have been stopped from Tuesday night since a new strain of coronavirus has been detected there. A lot of people have come from Europe to UP in the past two weeks. I appeal to all such people, who have come from the UK and other European countries after December 7, to get themselves tested. Even otherwise, they should quarantine themselves for at least a week,” he said.
Prasad said all such passengers should contact their nearest Covid Command Centre, chief medical officer or find the nearest testing centres on ‘Mera Covid Kendra’ app.
“Anyone who has travelled recently and is showing any kind of symptoms should definitely get themselves tested, so that we are able to keep the infection under control in the state. The government has already started making arrangements for quarantine facilities for such passengers,” Prasad added.