Mumbai, December 21: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday issued guidelines for passengers arriving from the United Kingdom in the wake of detection of a new strain of coronavirus, which is spreading more rapidly in Britain. All asymptomatic UK arrivals will be sent to institutional quarantine for a week, the BMC guidelines said, adding that RT-PCR test will be conducted on 5th or 7th day of the quarantine. Air India Flights to and From Oman Suspended as Sultanate Closes Borders After Detection of Mutant Coronavirus.

"All the passengers arriving from UK, direct or through indirect flights should be subjected to mandatory institutional quarantine at their own cost in the nearby hotels for seven days," the BMC said. If the passenger is found symptomatic on arrival, then he will be shifted directly to Seven Hills Hospital for further evaluation and treatment," the civic body added.

"On arrival, no RT-PCR test will be conducted. However, the RT-PCR test will conduct during 5th to 7th days at the cost of the quarantined passengers," the guidelines said. If the passenger tests negative, s/he would be discharged from the institutional quarantine after 5 to 7 days with the advice of 7 days mandatory home quarantine.

"If the test result is found positive but asymptomatic then he will be continued in the same hotel in quarantine or in the COVID-19 hospital till 14 days," the civic body said. Earlier today, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that all flights from the UK to India will be suspended till December 31, with effect from Tuesday night.

The Maharashtra government announced a return of night curfew for 15 days from December 22, amidst the huge global scare over a new strain of COVID-19 virus detected in the UK.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2020 10:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).