New Delhi: Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said that people who travelled to the Capital from the UK in the last 10 days are being traced, tested and have been advised to quarantine. He also said that the city has seen the lowest positivity rate of 1.29 per cent in the last eight months.
The Minister spoke on the new mutation of Coronavirus in the United Kingdom and said that it is spreading rather quickly. "According to the data, there has been a rapid spurt in cases, around 30,000 cases per day. This is why we requested the Central Government to ban flights to the UK, which they did start today," he said.
Jain said that the reason behind the fast spread of virus earlier between March-April was that lots of people travelled to Delhi. He said that the Health Department is testing all the people who are travelling via the UK at the airport, along with that travellers who are taking international flights are required to carry a test report with them.
"Our strategy for this is that we will identify all those who are based out of Delhi in the past 2 weeks, and conduct door to door testing for them. I request everyone to wear a mask, because that is the only way to stay safe, no matter the strain. If you step out with a mask on, you will be able to combat with any number of strains," he said.
The state Health Minister said that only ICMR will be able to test and clarify the differences and ways of detection of the new strain of the Coronavirus. He said that the Delhi Government is taking all appropriate decisions to not let the new strain affect the city. "We will still be conducting tests because Delhi has successfully combated the third wave of Coronavirus, and we wouldn't want anything to hamper our success. According to the information provided, the new strain is contagious, and as seen in the UK is spreading at a fast rate," he added.
Jain said that for the first time in four months, the number of Covid positive cases were under 1000. He said that the vaccine for Covid-19 is being developed and manufactured in the country and that the state government is awaiting approval in order to start the manufacturing and roll-out process.
In the meantime, the Delhi government said people who have arrived here from the UK recently are being traced and tested, while an institutional quarantine facility is being set up for positive cases at the LNJP Hospital amid mounting concern over a new strain of the virus detected in that country.
Sources said an institutional quarantine facility is being created at the LNJP Hospital in an isolated area away from the main COVID wards, for UK passengers testing positive at the airport.