Lucknow: At least two UK-returnees out of 1,600 tested COVID-19 positive carried the new deadlier strain of the virus, prompting the Uttar Pradesh state health ministry to isolate symptomatic passengers.
Out of the 1,600 passengers who returned from the UK last month, around 300 people are untraceable.
The health department in a major decision said UK returnees who do not contact the authorities on their own will face legal consequences.
According to the state health department, infected passengers hail from Gautam Budh Nagar and Meerut. Infected individuals were tested with the new variant of coronavirus, however, were asymptomatic.
Coronavirus infected passengers will be admitted to special wards in government hospitals and the home isolation time, if any, will be 28 days for all the UK return Indians.
Also read: 71 UK-returnees go untraceable in Patna
About 2500 people who have returned from the United Kingdom have been screened so far, of which only two have been found to have a new variant of coronavirus infection.
