Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan has confirmed that one person in Chennai has tested positive for the UK variant of coronavirus and also mentioned that the test results of 29 other people are awaited from the National Institute of Virology in Pune.

The infected individual from Chennai has been isolated and is currently receiving treatment at King Institute in Guindy. "One person has tested positive for the new variant of coronavirus and he is receiving treatment at a seperate room at King's Institute in Guindy. We have already tested the remaining passengers who travelled along with him in the plane and their samples have turned negative. The condition of the person who tested positive for the UK variant is stable and his health condition is improving," the Health Minister was quoted as saying by a news agency. So far, 13 passengers who had returned from the UK have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu. 93 of their contacts were traced and tested, of which 15 people have tested positive and 77 people have tested negative.

The new highly infectious strain of coronavirus found in the United Kingdom has raised concerns among scientists and health officials as the variant's rapid infection rate has forced several European countries to place travel restrictions. According to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the fast-moving new variant of the virus is 70 percent more transmissible than existing strains and has been spreading at an alarming rate in London and southern England. Considering the situation, the Indian government suspended flights to and from the UK until December 31.