Six out of 266 passengers and crew members of a flight that arrived in Delhi from London on Monday night have tested positive for COVID-19, reports ANI. Meanwhile, two passengers from the UK tested positive in Kolkata and one in Chennai reported ANI.

“Their samples have been sent to NCDC for research and they have been sent to care centre,” Nodal officer for COVID-19 said, reported ANI. 

“Five passengers were found COVID-positive at the Delhi airport. One passenger, who took a connecting flight to Chennai, was tested there and found positive,” the official said.

This comes after the UK announced that it has found a new strain of coronavirus due to which most of southeast England and London went under strict restrictions.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Monday announced a ban on all flights from the UK till December 31, which comes into effect on Tuesday from 11.59 pm. 

The Aviation Ministry also said that people arriving from Britain in all transit flights will be subjected to mandatory RT-PCR tests on arrival at airports. 

The new COVID-19 strain is said to be 70% more transmissible. UK PM Boris Johnson said that it has become a prominent strain in London as the cases were rising despite boosted restrictions.