Srinagar, Jan 9 (IANS): Two patients carrying the new UK COVID-19 strain were admitted to a hospital in J&K's Srinagar city on Saturday.

The discovery of two locals carrying the new UK COVID-19 strain is disturbing since there has been a decline in the number of daily COVID positive cases in Kashmir.

Dr Bilquees Shah, nodal officer for COVID-19 at Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial (JLNM) hospital in Rainawari area of Srinagar, told reporters that two male patients from Kashmir have tested positive for the new COVID-19 strain that was first reported in the United Kingdom.

"These two male patients are residents of Habak and Soura areas of Srinagar and both had travelled to UK," she said.

Authorities have said that contacts of these two patients are being identified for isolation while the two patients have been admitted to JLNM hospital for treatment.

These two patients found with the new UK strain are among the 90 such cases found so far in the country.