Thread by @BiIndia

India detects 14 new cases of UK #COVID19Strain, putting the tally at 20

businessinsider.in/india/news/ind…

By @pabsgill

Twenty people with the new strain of COVID-19 have been detected in India, with 14 cases emerging in the last 24 hours, according to the India’s Health Ministry.

#CovidStrain

Samples from Delhi show the highest frequency with eight cases testing positive for the new strain in the national capital, followed by NIMHANS in Bengaluru with seven positive cases.

The new strain of COVID-19, which wreaked havoc in the UK, is 70% more transmissible. “The UK variant is more transmissible,” said K Vijayraghavan, the principal scientific advisor to the Indian government.

Tracking down people returning to India from the UK has reportedly been challenging for the authorities. Pune, for instance, is yet to trace 109 travellers and Odisha has been given a list of 74 more people who could be possible carriers.

In Andhra Pradesh, the state’s Health and Family Welfare department has been able to trace 1,406 UK returnees out of the 1,423 identified, according to commission K Bhaskar.