Fearing the spread of the new coronavirus variant in Pakistan and acting on the directives of the federal government, the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has traced the whereabouts of 66 passengers who have arrived back home from the UK during the last one week following the outbreak of a new variant of the coronavirus there, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Friday. 

According to details, following reports of the arrival of around 102 passengers belonging to KP from the UK during the last one week, the provincial health department has alerted all the concerned district health officials.       

The health officials have been asked to take samples of these passengers and put them in quarantine. 

People from 12 districts of the province, including Mardan, Abbottabad, Swat and Nowshera, have returned home from the UK during the past one week, says the letter issued to the district health officials. 

The new coronavirus strain called B.1.1.7 first appeared in September and has quickly caused a wave of infections in the UK. In response to the news, a growing number of countries, including Spain and Russia, have enacted travel bans against the UK over the past week.

While scientists are working around the clock to collect more information about this strain, there are still some unknowns, including how easily it spreads and whether this will affect immunity from a vaccine.

B.1.1.7 is a new coronavirus strain responsible for a majority of COVID-19 infections in the United Kingdom. Experts say it’s too soon to tell if the B.1.1.7 variant spreads at a faster rate than other coronavirus strains. Early data from infection rates in the United Kingdom suggests no evidence between the B.1.1.7 variant and a more severe COVID-19 infection was found.