A health worker collects a swab from a man during a COVID-19 test in New Delhi, India, on Nov. 6, 2020.File photo:Xinhua

 
India's health ministry said on Monday that 38 cases of mutant COVID-19 strain detected in Britain have been traced in the country.

"A total of 38 samples have been found to be positive with the new variant genome," the ministry said.

As per the health ministry, 19 patients have been found in New Delhi followed by Bengaluru where 10 patients were detected. In Pune five cases were reported, followed by Hyderabad where three cases were traced. One patient has been detected in Kolkata.

The positive samples are being tested at 10 SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) labs across India.

According to officials, all these patients have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by respective local governments.

"Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others," the ministry said. "Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on."

The new variant of COVID-19 virus detected in Britain has triggered widespread concern and travel restrictions across the world.

The Indian government last week temporarily suspended flight services from Britain in wake of the new strain of COVID-19 found there. Authorities ordered surveillance of all passengers who travelled from or transited through Britain in the last four weeks prior to the flight ban.

Meanwhile, flights from India to Britain will resume on Wednesday and operations from Britain to India will begin on Friday.