COVID-19: Samples of 11 foreign returnees sent to NIV

The samples of four foreign returnees from Mumbai have been sent for whole genome sequencing to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. They are among the 11 travellers who were found Covid positive during the RT-PCR test being conducted at the airport.

“Of the total samples, four travellers are from Mumbai, followed by Pune (3) and one each from Navi Mumbai, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. All passengers are being thermally scanned and 2% random samples are taken for Covid testing. All positive samples were referred to the NIV, Pune,” said the officials while adding that they had moderate symptoms. So far, 2.29 lakh passengers have arrived in Mumbai. Of them, 5,071 had to undergo RT-PCR.

State Surveillance Officer Dr Pradeep Awate said that on an average, Maharashtra has been recording 20-30 cases daily. “This indicates a shift towards the endemic stage when the mass infection rate drops. We believe that just like other seasonal infections, Covid will become one of them. Depending upon the seasonal variation, we may witness rise and drop in cases like swine flu,” he added.

On Friday, the state reported 32 Covid cases and one fatality, taking the total caseload and death toll to 81,36,780, and 1,48,418 deaths, respectively.

Dr Pradeep Awate, State Surveillance Officer

The number of daily cases indicates a shift towards an endemic stage. We believe that just like other seasonal infections, Covid will become one of them.