Six UK returnees test positive, curbs in Srikakulam colony
VIJAYAWADA/NELLORE : A total of six persons, who returned from the United Kingdom in the past one month, have tested positive for Covid-19 till now. But it is yet to be confirmed whether they have tested positive for the new strain of the virus or not. Meanwhile, 56 UK returnees to the State are yet to be traced by the Medical and Health Department.
According to Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar, 1,214 people returned from the UK to Andhra Pradesh so far and of them, 1,158 have been traced and tested. Two from Guntur and one each from East Godavari, Krishna, Anantapur and Nellore have tested positive for the virus.
“The samples of the positive cases have been sent to the National Institute of Virology and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology to confirm if they contracted the new strain or not,” Bhaskar said.
He further said that RT PCR tests are being conducted on the UK returnees and urged the returnees to undergo the test mandatorily. Those who returned from the UK should undergo home quarantine for 14 days. A total of 1,101 returnees are in quarantine now, he said. A woman who returned from the UK to Veeraghattam in Srikakulam district a few days ago, tested positive for the virus in the preliminary test.
She was shifted to GEMS Hospital for further tests. The 35-year-old woman tested negative in the RT PCR test. Her colony has been declared a containment cluster. “We have traced 33 UK returnees in Srikakulam,” said Dr B Jagannadha Rao, District Covid Nodal Officer.
Officials trace 47 UK returnees in Nellore
He told TNIE that they conducted Covid tests on 30 UK returnees. The remaining three returnees had gone to Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. “Soon after the woman who returned to Veeraghattam from the UK tested positive, we immediately shifted her to the district Covid hospital along with her two children. Her children have been kept under isolation. However, she tested negative in RT PCR test at GEMS Hospital. As part of precautionary measures, the DM&HO has declared the BC Colony where she resides in Veeraghattam, a containment zone,’’ he said.
The woman went to the UK a few months ago to see her husband. She returned to Hyderabad on December 10, came to Visakhapatnam by Godavari Express and reached Veeraghattam on December 11 by car, he added.Meanwhile, the medical and health officials traced 47 UK returnees in Nellore district. According to DM&HO G Rajyalakshmi, 47 people returned from the UK to Nellore. “Of them, 41 are in Nellore, while four went to Karnataka and one to Amritsar and another returned to London. We have conducted tests on 37 UK returnees after getting their contact details. Of them, 28 people tested negative and one positive,” the DM&HO said.
The person who tested positive returned from the UK, 13 days ago. He has been kept under quarantine. “We are waiting for the test results of eight more persons,’’ she added. The DM&HO said that there is no case of new strain of virus in Nellore district. But, people should strictly adhere to Covid guidelines to keep the virus at bay, she added.
1,214 No. of UK returnees
1,158 No. of returnees traced and tested
56 No. of missing