U.K. returnees are being closely monitored, say health officials

Authorities in the central districts had, through the last few weeks of December, pulled out all stops to track and trace travellers from the United Kingdom in view of the spread of a new strain of COVID-19. Officials of the Health Department in the districts, led by the respective Collectors have managed to identify most travellers, they say.

In Thanjavur three patients who travelled to the district from the U.K. and three of their primary contacts tested positive. A total of 53 travellers were from Thanjavur. Samples were lifted from them and their immediate contacts and of the over 80 samples, six returned positive, District Collector M. Govinda Rao said.

The samples of the six who tested positive were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, to check whether they had the new strain of virus and the results are awaited. “All the 80-odd people have been home quarantined and are being regularly monitored by a dedicated team of health officials,” Mr. Rao said.

Travellers from other countries to the district too are being traced and tested, he added. “Two patients who travelled from Dubai tested positive last week. Their samples have also been sent to Pune for genomic analysis, and reports are awaited,” he added.

No other district in the central region has so far reported travellers from the U.K. testing positive. In Tiruchi, where a list of 105 travellers was prepared, only four are untraceable. “We found that one had returned to the U.K. The remaining patients were traced, including those who travelled to other districts after reaching Tiruchi. Samples were lifted from all of them and none has tested positive so far,” said Aravind Kumar, district epidemiologist.

In Pudukottai too, 41 samples were lifted from 20 travellers and their immediate contacts, all of whom reported negative for COVID-19. “Most of the travellers were knowledgeable and knew that it was important to quarantine themselves after travel. It was not a difficult process to trace them,” a senior health official in the district said.

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