detected 9 other cases of the Delta variant in travelers arriving from abroad

The Ministry of Health of the Nation confirmed this Monday other nine positive cases of Delta variant among returning travelers from the United States, Mexico and Paraguay. Yes indeed there are already 15 infections reported in the country with this mutation, all imported.

Only two of the new infections were detected during antigen tests carried out at Ezeiza airport. The other seven were positive during compulsory isolation: some in the control PCR which is done on the seventh day and others were swabbed earlier due to symptoms.

So far in Argentina there is no community circulation of this variant, originally found in India and feared for its strong contagion. In practice, this means that it has not yet been detected in people with no previous travel history abroad or linked to an international traveler.

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday that this mutation is already present in at least 104 countries and predicts that he will soon become the dominant at the World level.

According to the government, among the new cases detected six live in the city of Buenos Aires and three others in the province of Buenos Aires. All were isolated in hotels or in their homes.

Now, the health authorities of the jurisdictions are carrying out the epidemiological investigation of the close contacts of each flight, as well as the follow-up of confirmed cases and their close contacts.

“It should be noted that in three of the cases, these are adults who were vaccinated during their stay in Miami, United States,” said the Department of Health.

La noticia conoce en medio de la polémica por las restricciones a los vuelos impuestas por el Gobierno para contain la llegada de la nueva variant al país, por las que se había reducido from 2,000 to 600 la cantidad de argentinos que pueden llegar por día al Country.

Now the quota has increased slightly. Between this Saturday and July 16, an average of 740 passengers per day will be admitted, to complete a total of 5,200 seats per week. In practice, it is about one more flight per day that can arrive in Ezeiza.

Prior to today’s report, the government had confirmed 7 imported infections with this new mutation. However, when the 9 new cases were distributed, the press release speaks of 15 (and not 16) cases of the Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant identified by the National Reference Laboratory of INEI-ANLIS.

This is because one of the isolates reported in May as an Indian variant “has been reclassified after the World Health Organization (WHO) called it the Kappa variant and not included as a variant of concern, ”according to the Health Portfolio.

When analyzing the 15 confirmed cases, Health detailed that five were positive for Ezeiza, but were asymptomatic. Two of them then developed symptoms while completing hotel isolation.

“The other ten tested negative on admission and were identified during the period of mandatory segregation at their home after travel; eight developed symptoms and two remained asymptomatic. In addition, four of the travelers had been vaccinated during their trip abroad, ”they added.

recommendations

In addition to the report of the new cases detected, the Ministry of Health issued a series of recommendations to the population and to the authorities:

• Keep land borders closed

• Entry ban for foreigners not residing in the country

• Requirement of a negative molecular biology test with a maximum notice of 72 hours. before the trip and a test at the entry into the country for those entering by international flights through the authorized airports (Ezeiza, Aeroparque and San Fernando) and the terminal of the port of Buenos Aires.

• Those who test positive for antigen upon arrival in the country must undergo isolation in specific hotels in the city of Buenos Aires.

• Obligation to maintain isolation for all international travelers for a period of 7 days after entry (as indicated by each jurisdiction)

• Obligation to perform a molecular test on the seventh day of admission.

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