Odisha govt directs officials to mandatorily screen people with history of UK travel

In the wake of the new strain of Coronavirus emerging from the United Kingdom, the Odisha government has directed authorities to ensure strict adherence to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Union Health Ministry with a mandatory screening of persons with travel history of UK in order to prevent the spread of the mutant Coronavirus in India.

The Additional Chief Secretary to Odisha Government PK Mohapatra has asked Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Director of Airport Authority of India in Bhubaneswar and other officials for taking Precautionary measures.

The Civil Aviation Ministry on Monday announced the suspension of flight services to and from the UK in view of the new variant of Coronavirus. The flight services have been suspended from December 23 to 31, 2020.

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Epidemiological Surveillance and Response after the emergence of the new variant of COVID-19 in the UK. The new mutant variant of COVID-19, which is said to be 70% more transmissible than the previous one, has caused a scare across the world with several countries including India shutting down air travel to and from the UK.

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World reacts to mutant COVID-19

The Civil Aviation Ministry suspended flights to and from the UK starting from Tuesday 11.59 pm to December 31 11.50 pm as a preemptive action against the entry and spread of the mutant Coronavirus in India. About 40 countries including India have suspended air travel to the UK in the wake of the new variant of the virus. European Union nations including France, Italy and Germany have halted flights from the UK, followed by Canada, Israel, Iran Netherlands. However, France has eased the travel ban after the European Commission urged member states to lift the ban on travel to the UK.

The new variant has caused a second wave of COVID-19 in South Africa as nearly 90% of the samples tested in the country contain the new strain.

The new strain of Coronavirus is more dominating than the previous one, according to the experts and has compelled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to announce stricter stay-at-home lockdown measures in the UK amid the festive season of Christmas. The British government’s chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance reportedly said that the strain “moves fast and is becoming the dominant variant” causing over 70% of the infections in the country. This variant is estimated by the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) to be more transmissible and affecting the younger population.

(with inputs from ANI)

(Image: PTI)

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