Just as people began to feel happy that some potent vaccines had been identified for the dangerous COVID-19 Novel Corona Virus had been identified, there came a huge blow that a new mutated strain of the Virus had been identified in the UK and that it is spreading rapidly. Over 40 countries immediately suspended air travel to and from the UK, temporarily and even Britain's European neighbours shut down their borders. India is one of the countries which had decided to temporarily suspend air travel to the UK but had fixed the cut-off date as being the midnight of December 22nd. Unfortunately, when those who arrived before that were tested, there were a number of COVID-19 positive cases, amongst them! 

Initial reports stated that 5 among the 266 passengers and crew of a UK flight, which landed in Delhi, had been identified as COVID positive. Shortly, 2 more passengers who arrived at the Kolkata airport from the UK, tested positive. Then, a person who landed in Chennai, tested positive. This immediately pushed the states to get into contact tracing mode and the Health Ministry had also directed that all people who arrived from the UK in particular and Europe in general, after the 25th of November, had to undergo the RT-PCR testing for the Corona Virus. Now, the Tamil Nadu government has made it mandatory that all passengers who returned to the state from the UK, between November 25th and December 23rd, have to undergo a RT-PCR test to ascertain their COVID status. 

The Tamil Nadu Health department has identified 1,088 passengers who travelled to TN from the UK, the last week alone. The states neighbouring Tamil Nadu are also on high alert, for this new mutated strain of the Corona Virus. Telangana has reported that 1,200 people have travelled to the state from the UK, since December 9th! Of these people, about 926 passengers were tested and among these, 16 people returned positive results! The Telangana government has placed 76 primary contacts of these 16 infected people, under institutional quarantine! Irrespective of all being said and done, it is our duty to remain safe and prevent ourselves from being infected!