M’luru: Amid reports of new Covid strain, 56 UK returnees to undergo test for virus

Mangaluru: After the new strain of coronavirus found in the United Kingdom, the Dakshina Kannada district health and family welfare department decided to collect the swabs of the passengers who arrived in the city from Britain.

Reportedly, 56 passengers arrived in Dakshina Kannada recently and their swabs will be collected on Wednesday, December 23. All the passengers are in contact with the district health and family welfare department.

Three teams were assigned with the task of collecting the swabs of the passengers and the test results will reach by evening. In case if they test positive, they will be admitted to the hospital for treatment and their samples will be sent to NIMHANS for further test.

Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation on December 21 had announced in the light of the new strain of coronavirus found in the UK that the flights from and to the UK stand temporarily suspended from December 23 to 31, 2020 or till further orders.

The government has also issued a direction that all the passengers coming from the UK during the intervening period from December 21 to 23 will have to undergo RT-PCR tests at the airports of arrival.