Two more UK returnees in Telangana tested positive for Covid-19, taking the count to 20 infections among those who returned from the United Kingdom.
Director of the State Department of Public Health and Family Welfare, Dr G Srinivasa Rao told reporters, "Two more of those who have had results so far today have been confirmed positive for coronavirus. Both are from the Malkajgiri district. We have sent the samples (for genetic sequencing to test whether it is UK COVID-19 strain) of those who came positive to Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and their results are awaited."
"A total of 20 people who returned from the UK to the state have been diagnosed with the coronavirus so far. Of those who came in positive, four were from Hyderabad, eight from Medchal Malkajgiri district, two from Jagityal district and one each from Manchiryal, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet and Warangal urban districts. We put 20 people in special wards in different hospitals," he added.
Rao further said that the department is on high alert in the wake of the new strain of coronavirus reported in the UK.
"We are collecting details of those from the UK and examining their health condition. Since December 9, a total of 1,216 people have come to Telangana from the UK and we identified 970 of them and conducted their coronavirus tests. Of those from the UK, 92 were from other states. We have provided information to the respective states."
"A total of 154 are yet to be traced. Their address and phone numbers are not comprehensive, so those who have come directly to the state from the UK after December 9 or have travelled through the UK are kindly requested to provide their details by calling 040-24651119 or 9154170960 via WhatsApp," he added.
As many as 472 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths have been reported from Telangana on Saturday, while 509 patients have been discharged during the day, the state's health department said.
The total number of positive cases in the state has gone up to 2,84,863.
Of these, a total of 2,76,753 have recovered. While there are a total of 6,579 active cases currently, 1,531 patients have succumbed to the virus till now in Telangana, it added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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