279 Returnees From The United Kingdom Untraceable In Telangana; 119 Returnees Test Positive Nationwide

At least 279 passengers who had returned to the State of Telangana from the United Kingdom (UK) have turned out untraceable, reports Times of India.

Of the 279 untraceable returnees in Telangana, 92 are from the neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. Also, 184 of these untraceable returnees had provided incorrect phone numbers and addresses to the authorities. The State Government has forwarded their details to the concerned State Governments so that they can help in tracing these returnees.

The development gains significance as 59 new cases have been recorded among passengers returning from the UK, taking the tally of such cases since last Sunday (20 December) to 119 across India.

The samples of all the passengers who have tested positive for COVID-19 so far have been sent to the laboratories for sequencing and by tomorrow it will be known if any of they have carried to India the new variant reported by the UK which has been found to be more transmissible.

The Government has upped the efforts to ensure minimal or no spread of the new strain of the coronavirus which has emerged in the UK.