In view of five cases of Covid-19 caused by mutant variants emerging in South Africa and Brazil being found in India, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said that it is in discussions with the Civil Aviation Ministry to see if the strategy of controlling air traffic from the two nations, as was done following the detection of the UK variant, could be implemented here as well.

"Unlike the UK, flights do not come directly to India from Brazil and South Africa. These passengers mostly take transit routes from Gulf nations in order to reach India. So we have to see if the air traffic needs to be restricted. We are in discussion with the (Civil) Aviation Ministry on this," Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.