India's count of UK mutant COVID virus rises to 96

The number of people who have tested positive for the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in India has climbed to 96, the health ministry said on Monday.

Till Saturday, the number of such people was 90.

''The total number of persons found infected with the mutant UK strain of COVID-19 is 96,'' the ministry said.

All these people were kept in single-room isolation at designated healthcare facilities by the respective state governments, it had earlier said.

Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine and a comprehensive contact-tracing exercise has been initiated for the co-travellers, family members and others, the ministry said, adding that the genome sequencing of other specimens is going on.

The situation is being monitored and regular advice is being given to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG laboratories.

The presence of the new UK variant of the coronavirus has been reported by several countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.