Two American tourists test Covid-19 positive in UP's Agra: Official

Two American tourists, who visited the Taj Mahal on January 10, have tested COVID-19 positive, a senior health official said on Thursday.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Agra, Dr Arun Srivastava, said that the two American tourists were part of a group and were staying in a hotel after coming from Varanasi.

He said that samples of everyone in the group was taken but only the two Americans tested positive.

"They reached Agra on January 9 via Varanasi and stayed in a hotel in Agra and on January 10 visited Taj Mahal. Samples of the tourists were taken by the team of the health department of Agra at the east gate of the Taj Mahal," he told PTI.

He said that samples of the tourists have been sent for genome sequencing in Lucknow.

Srivastava said that they have also alerted the health department of Jaipur in Rajasthan as the group of tourists was next headed to the northern state after completing its Agra tour.

"After Agra tourists have gone to Jaipur in Rajasthan and as the report came positive, we have alerted the health department of Jaipur and informed about the tourists," he said.

Till now two residents of Agra -- one who returned from China and another one from USA --tested COVID-19 positive.

During December's last week one foreign tourist from Argentina, who visited the Taj Mahal, tested positive. However, the health officials of the district could not trace him later as the details given by him were found to be incorrect.