Two elderly people of the family in Pathanamthitta, where a couple and their son have tested positive for coronavirus, are under isolation at the Government Medical College in Kottayam, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said.
Their samples have been sent for examination and their chances of testing positive are high, the minister said.
The condition of the affected people is stable and not critical. The three-year-old child who tested positive is also stable.
Thirteen people, including parents of the child, have been put under isolation at Kalamassery Medical College in Ernakulam.
Five more people in the district have shown symptoms and have been isolated.
95 people under high risk
Contact tracing in the district has been progressing. A total of 270 people have been identified as primary contacts, among which 95 are under high risk. As many as 164 people have had secondary contact with the affected people.
The minister, while addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday night, said, “The government has been trying to get details of all foreigners landing at the airports. Community surveillance will be made more decentralised and strengthened with the assistance of local bodies as well as with the help of ward members. In city areas, the task will be entrusted with resident associations.”
The Kerala government had sought permission to test samples at two medical colleges in the state for which sanction has been granted. The samples will now be tested at Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode medical colleges. Sample testing will start in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday and is planned to begin at Kozhikode on Tuesday. The government has also sought permission to conduct testing in more hospitals, particularly in districts where the state has airports.
School Exams
Any student, who is quarantined and who is asymptomatic, will be allowed to attend the class 10 exams, which are scheduled to commence on Wednesday, March 11, privately with all safety measures. Regarding the exams up till class 9, the government is likely to take a decision on Tuesday.
Fake News
Spreading fake news should be strictly avoided, and baseless information about the virus should also not be shared, KK Shailaja said. It's a crime to hide information, such as returning from affected countries and it will be punishable under the Public Health Act, the minister added.
“People who are asymptomatic should also report, to enable the Health Department to monitor them. What is needed is responsible behaviour. All possible measures have been taken in two days to contain the outbreak. Announcements will be made at airports to report at the help desk,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, the minister said that there is a shortage of masks globally because of the large number of coronavirus cases. The Drug Control Department will take action against medical shops that charge exorbitantly for masks, she added.