114 people test positive for UK variant of coronavirus

 The number of people who have tested positive for the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country has climbed to 114, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said the situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to states.

"The total number of persons found infected with the new UK variant genome is 114," the ministry said.

Earlier, the ministry had said all these people have been kept in single room isolation at designated Health Care facilities by respective state governments.

The close contacts of these people have also been put under quarantine and comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others, it said, adding that genome sequencing on other specimens is going on.

The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs.

The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.