New Delhi: As India prepares to launch its coronavirus vaccination tomorrow, the total number of COVID-19 patients found infected with the new strain of coronavirus first detected in the United Kingdom (UK) has risen to 114, the Health Ministry said on Friday.
Five cases of the new strain - believed to be more infectious - were detected in the last 24 hours, the data shows. Till yesterday, this number was 109.
All the patients are recovering in single-room government quarantine centres, and their close contacts have also been quarantined. Genome sequencing to ascertain the strain of infection is going on for other samples, the ministry said, adding the situation is under careful watch.
To ensure that the UK mutation of coronavirus, which now accounts for about half of all new cases in that country, does not enter the community in India, the government has enforced a new set of strict rules for international passengers, including mandatory testing before and after the flight.
All positive Covid samples of international travellers are sent for genome sequencing.
The centre is also closely monitoring the tracking and testing of those who came to India before the 15-day air travel ban with UK came into effect on December 23.
The new virus remains vulnerable to available vaccines, experts have said.
Starting Saturday, India will start the "world's largest vaccination programme" through which it will start giving anti-COVID-19 jabs to 3 crore health and frontline workers and 27 crore people in the vulnerable category.
The Centre has circulated a factsheet with information on the two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin -- that will be used. Both are two-dose vaccines that have to be administered with a 28-day gap, and will only be given to those above 18 years of age.
The centre also said that interchangeability of vaccine is not permitted. The second dose of the vaccine should also be of the one that was administered as first dose. There is also a strict protocol for people who contracted the virus.
The rollout tomorrow is expected to cover 3 lakh healthcare workers across 3,006 sites across the country.