India has recorded the first six cases of mutant coronavirus, which was first reported in the United Kingdom, PTI reported.  Six returnees from the UK have tested positive for the new virus strain, the Union Health Ministry said in a statement. 

Samples of three returnees were tested at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, two were tested at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad and one at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, the Health Ministry’s statement read.

All of them have been kept in single room isolation, ANI reported, quoting the Health Ministry’s statement.

It further said that about 33,000 people have arrived in India from the UK, from November 25 to December 23. All of them are being tracked and tested.

So far, 114 of them have tested positive for COVID-19.

India, along with several other countries, has suspended flights from the UK. The ban in India came into force at 11.59 pm on Tuesday and will remain in effect till 11.59 pm on December 31.

A number of countries have reported cases of the mutant coronavirus. These include France, Germany, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.