As many as 133 UK returnees, who have been staying in Coimbatore since November 23, are under house quarantine and their samples have been taken, informed the Health Department officials even while concerns exist regarding a new mutant strain of COVID-19 that has been found in Britain.

The returnees are being monitored by the Health Department along with the city/district police to check whether they have developed any symptoms. Since are no direct flights between Coimbatore and the UK, the returnees entered Coimbatore after landing in one of the airports in India.

Even if they had a COVID-19 negative certificate, their samples are being taken, informed health officials and added that as direct international flights from Coimbatore International Airport are available only to Sharjah, those passengers from Sharjah, who had a recent travel history to the UK, are being tested for COVID-19 and placed under house quarantine.

Apart from the UK, the Health Department is also monitoring returnees from South Africa after another mutant strain of the virus was detected there. However, there had been no returnees from South Africa so far, informed the Health Department.