DANGER ALERT: New COVID-19 strain reached Pakistan

The Sindh Health Department on Tuesday confirmed the detection of UK linked new COVID-19 strain in three returnees.

According to the details, the health department in a Twitter post, informed;

“Samples of 3 UK returnees show a 95% match to the new Corona Virus variant from UK in the first phase of Genotyping.”

Karachi (29.12.2020): Samples of 3 UK returnees show a 95% match to the new Corona Virus variant from UK in the first phase of Genotyping. #SindhHealth pic.twitter.com/4UUTSMTOQa

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— Health and Population Welfare Department, Sindh (@SindhHealthDpt) December 29, 2020

Health officials said they took samples of twelve people upon their return from the UK for genotyping, out of which six turned out to be positive while three showed the new strain of the virus in the first phase.

“The Genotyping showed 95% match of the new variant from the UK,” they said, adding these samples will go through another phase of genotyping.

The department said the contact tracing of these patients is underway and their contacts are being isolated also.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan extended the temporary travel restrictions it imposed on the UK flights earlier last week in view of second novel coronavirus wave amplified by a newly detected Covid strain found hastily transmissible across Britain.

The national aviation authority, that enforced the restrictions initially for a week until Dec 29, has now extended them for another week ending January 4, 2021.

As per new CAA advisory on inbound travel from UK, any Pakistan passport holder with Business visa, visitor visa or Transit visa can board Pakistani-bound UK flight on a condition they test COVID negative in a PCR test conducted 72 hours prior to flight.