Union aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday hinted that the ministry might extend suspension imposed on flightS from the United Kingdom. As of now, the flights from UK remain suspended till December 31.
The development comes after six UK returnee tested positive for the new coronavirus strain, which was first detected in UK, in India.
“I foresee a short extension on this temporary suspension. I don’t see the extension to be long or indefinite,” Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said when asked about the temporary suspension of flights from the United Kingdom due to the new variant of coronavirus.
India has imposed a temporary suspension on flights from UK on December 23 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced two confirmed cases of the new covid variant in the country.
Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Italy were other country to suspend travel with UK after infectious Coronavirus variant, which is said to be seventy per cent more aggressive, was found there.
According to UK Health secretary Matt Hancock, the new variant is “more contagious” than the prevalent strain.
“We’ve discovered a new more contagious virus, a variant that is spreading at a dangerous rate. Today we’re announcing further action within the tiering system,” Hancock had said last week.
The six people who tested positive for the virus have been kept in isolation in special rooms at designated health care centres by their respective state governments. All of their family members and close contacts have also been quarantined and will be tested for the virus.
“Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on. The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs,” the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.
