The NHS said that Pakistan is closely monitoring all passengers arriving from the UK, however no such variant has been detected so far.

The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) on Thursday said that Pakistan is closely monitoring all passengers arriving from the UK, however no such variant of SARS COV-2 has been detected so far.

In a brief statement, it said that Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination remains vigilant about the emergence of new variant of SARS CoV-2 detected in the UK.

It said that the situation in Pakistan is being closely monitored as all the passengers arriving from UK are being evaluated. “As of today, no such variant of SARS COV-2 has been detected in Pakistan. The National Institute of Health is sensitive to and on alert regarding this new strain for timely detection.”

Earlier, it had said that United Kingdom has reported the detection of a new strain of SARS-COV-2 (VUI-202012/01) that is more transmissible than other previously known strains. In light of this news, the NCOC has decided upon an immediate response to limit the strain’s spread in Pakistan. The United Kingdom launched a new virological investigation once authorities reported a rapid increase in COVID-19 cases in South East England.

The in-depth analysis concluded that the sharp rise in cases is likely due to a new, mutated strain of the virus currently named “VUI-202012/01.” Preliminary analysis suggests that this particular strain is approximately 70% more transmissible.

However, so far, there is no evidence to suggest that the infection caused by this strain is any more severe. Many countries have already either completely banned or imposed additional restrictions on flights and travellers coming from the UK.

In order to prevent the spread of this particular strain of SARS-COV-2 in Pakistan, the NCOC has decided to take the following measures regarding travel from the UK with immediate effect: Trace and test all passengers who have arrived from the UK over the past seven days as per TTQ protocols, including passengers arriving on the 21st and 22nd of December 2020. Passengers who have arrived from the UK over the past seven days are requested to quarantine until their test results have come back.

Originally Published at The Nation