New COVID strain enters Maharashtra, 5 UK returnees in Mumbai test +ve for mutant infection

COVID-19 adds on 'new' troubles for Mumbai and Maharashtra's barely improving health index. On Monday, officials of the state health department revealed that the mutant strain of coronavirus has paved its way to Maharashtra, sending the administrating authorities into a frenzy. About 8 passengers who recently returned from the UK were found infected with the new strain of COVID. As per the statement of the state Health Minister, 5 out of these are from Mumbai, 2 from Thane and 1 from Pune.

Taking control of the situation

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8 cases of new coronavirus variant have been detected out of 43 UK-returnees who tested COVID positive in the span of the last 6 weeks, Health Minister stated. With this addition, India's tally of new virus cases has clocked to a total of 38. The process to trace these positive hosts is also underway, he added.

The state has geared up to take control of the situation and the Chief Minister directly reviewed the situation in a meeting, conducted to check the state's preparation of the vaccine rollout. He asked the concerned authorities about the current scenario of mutant infection and directed the BMC Commissioner and Health Department to enforce strict vigil to arrest any further spread.

Maharashtra, in tune with the Centre's guidelines, has already implemented stringent protocols for all passengers from the UK, Middle East and certain other countries in a bid to avoid the new Covid strain carriers. However, passengers flying from the UK detoured to international airports outside Maharashtra and then entered the state and broke the safety net. This passenger behaviour has compelled the CM to appeal to the Centre to quarantine all UK-returnees at all international airports across the country, to arrest the new mutant transmission.

As per the Centre's guidelines, all transfers between the UK and India which were suspended in view of the mutant strain will resume on January 8, 2021.

Impact on Maharashtra's Health Index

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The state has identified these cases, just a day after the city recorded just 3 COVID-19 deaths, its lowest tally since March'20. Besides this the state has engaged in the preparation of a massive coronavirus vaccination drive, to further its healing trends. However, this new development hangs as a proverbial axe over the health index of both, Maharashtra and capital Mumbai.

Apart from this, the state's active covid machinery is yielding positive results. The number of active cases in Maharashtra plunged
below the 50K mark to 48,801 in the state, besides a notching a recovery rate of 94.88 per cent and a fatality rate of 2.55 per cent.
With 29 fatalities from only 7 out of the 36 districts recorded for the day, the state death toll has reached 49,695 and by adding 2,765 new patients, the total Covid-19 cases touched 19,47,011 till date.