Eight more returnees from United Kingdom test positive in Telangana

Hyderabad: Eight more returnees from the United Kingdom have tested positive for Covid-19 and over 75 persons whom they contacted after arrival were sent into quarantine. The returnees were mostly students and professionals.

Altogether 16 persons who tested positive for Covid-19 so far are at isolation wards in different hospitals in the state. Their samples have been collected and sent for tests to check for the new strain. Health officials expect the results will be known in two days as the genome sequencing is being carried out at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology here.

Health officials stressed there’s no need for panic. If the variant virus is found in any returnee, proper treatment is at hand. The health infrastructure is ready to deal with the emerging Covid-19 situation, they said.

A total of 1,200 people have returned to Telangana state from the UK in recent times. So far, 926 have been tested.

Dr G. Srinivas Rao, director of public health, urged those who have come directly to the state from the UK after December 9 to report to the local authorities. Carrying out medical tests for them is important. Those who are testing negative are also being quarantined and they must report immediately in case of any symptoms.

Health officials state that more than 300 people have returned to Hyderabad from the UK since December 9. Officials are tracing and tracking them.

The district-wise break-up of the infected flyers: four each from Hyderabad and Medchal Malkajgiri districts; two from Jagtial district and one each from Mancherial, Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy, Sangareddy, Siddipet and Warangal Urban districts.