State public health director Nilakantha Mishra said if anyone is found to be positive for the COVID infection, the sample of such a patient would be sent for genome sequencing to ascertain the variant of the virus.
“Till now, we have not detected any fresh COVID case. If we find such a patient, the sample will be sent for genome sequencing to determine its variant,” he said.
Health authorities in India are keeping an eye on reports of a rise in COVID-19 cases in Singapore and Hong Kong, even as official sources on Monday asserted that the current coronavirus situation in the country was under control.
“However, people, especially those having co-morbidity, have to remain careful and take standard precautionary measures,” Mishra advised.
Civic-run KEM Hospital on Monday clarified that the deaths of two patients at the medical facility in Mumbai were due to co-morbidities and not linked to COVID-19, as it advised people not to panic.
The deaths of two COVID-19-infected patients — a 14-year-old girl and a woman aged 54 — have been reported at the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in Parel, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a statement. PTI BBM BBM BDC