Flights to resume, Karnataka govt plans SOPs to contain UK strain

BENGALURU: With flights set to resume between India and UK from January 8, the state government is mulling ramping up Covid testing at Kempegowda International Airport to contain the spread of the new virus variant.
Setting up a rapid RT-PCR testing lab, stationing a mobile swab collection unit and using the new terminal building to collect swab samples, besides helpdesks to assist passengers, are some of the measures discussed. The Centre had issued SOPs to be followed in handling flyers from UK on January 1, but the state government is yet to issue SOPs.
Sources in the health and family welfare department say if UK passengers test negative on arrival, they will be sent to 14-day home quarantine. But if a passenger tests positive, s/he must be admitted to a hospital and will have to be isolated till a genomic sequencing report is out. If the report shows s/he is infected with the new strain, SOP mandates that all his/her primary, high risk contacts must be traced and put in institutional quarantine for seven days.