PMC intensifies contact tracing of patient +ve with new COVID strain ByVicky PathareVicky Pathare / Updated: Jan 6, 2021, 06:00 IST Following discovery of the new variant in London, the Indian government had banned air travel to and from the UK since December 23 (FILE PHOTO) Civic body wrote to the director of health services, asking details of all the co-travellers in the flight. The state health department is on its toes to ensure that the new COVID strain reported from the United Kingdom doesn’t spread in the state. They are getting to every contact of the travellers who have tested positive for it. The urgency has dominated the scenario as the new strain is deemed highly infectious and transmissible. The health officials, however, have calmed the subsequent panic by stating that the viruses are known to mutate.