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NEW DELHI, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Local government in India's capital city New Delhi on Friday ordered stricter quarantine and monitor for arrivals from Britain as flights resumed between the two countries.

Delhi Disaster Management Authority said in the order that arrivals from Britain, where a new, highly transmissible COVID-19 strain has spread, will be subject to seven days of institutional quarantine before home isolation even if they test negative for COVID-19.

"To protect Delhiites from exposure to virus from UK (Britain), Delhi government takes important decisions," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote on social media.

He said, "All those arriving from UK, who test positive will be isolated in an isolation facility."

An Air India flight from Britain landed in Delhi Friday morning with close to 250 passengers aboard. Flights from India to Britain resumed on Wednesday.

Kejriwal on Thursday urged the federal government to extend the ban on British flights.

The temporary flight ban was imposed on Dec. 23. Authorities had ordered surveillance of all travellers from Britain in the four weeks prior to the flight ban.

So far 73 cases of mutant COVID-19 strain have been detected in India.

According to officials, all these infected people have been kept in single-room isolation in designated health care facilities by local governments.

The Health Ministry said their close contacts have also been put under quarantine, and comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Enditem