New COVID-19 strain: Odisha to keep surveillance on UK returnees

In view of the threat posed by the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus, the Odisha government on Thursday asked district administrations in the state to keep active surveillance on who returned from United Kingdom (UK) in the last 14 days (from December 7) for COVID containment.

As per an official release, Additional Chief Secretary PK Mohapatra has written to MD, NHM (National Health Mission), Odisha, all Collector and district magistrates (DMs), Municipal Commissioners, and all CDM and PHOs.

Sharing the details of the persons returned from the United Kingdom during the last 14 days provided by Delhi Disaster Management Authority, Mohapatra said in his letter, "A mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported from the United Kingdom. The strain has been implicated to have higher transmissibility as compared to the earlier strains."

"It is therefore requested to undertake intense surveillance, contact tracing, RT-PCR test of all incoming passengers from the UK as well as all the persons coming in contact with the incoming passengers to prevent the spread of the mutated COVID virus in the State," he added.

Health and Family welfare department has also issued guidance for sample collection, storage, and transport for genome sequencing of new strain SARS-CoV-2.

The government has decelerated DBT-Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar as the designated laboratory for SARS-CoV-2-genome sequencing.

(ANI)

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