The first case of the new coronavirus variant from UK was confirmed in Pakistan on Tuesday after three samples taken from passengers who had returned from Britain showed 95 pre cent match to the new variant.
The health department in Sindh said the samples of 12 returnees were taken for genotyping, out of which six tested positive.
“Samples of three U.K. returnees show a 95% match to the new coronavirus variant from the U.K. in the first phase of genotyping,” it said in a tweet.
The health department said that the provincial government was tracing contacts of these patients and all those who came in contact with them were being isolated.
The new variant is considered as 70% more transmissible and has sparked concerns around the world though health experts say there is no evidence that it is more deadly or would react differently to vaccines.
The development came as Pakistan extended a ban on the U.K. flights till January 4. The ban was announced on December 21. Several countries have closed their borders with the U.K. and suspended flights amid growing concerns of an “out of control” new variant of coronavirus spreading at a much faster pace in parts of England.
Meanwhile, 63 more people have died in Pakistan in the last 24 hours, taking the COVID-19 death toll to 9,992. Another 2,259 patients were in critical conditions, according to the Ministry of National Health Services.
The total number of COVID-19 infections have reached 4,75,085 after 1,776 new cases were detected across the country. A total of 4,25,494 people have recovered, it said.