Five fresh coronavirus cases surface in Kerala

Five fresh coronavirus cases, including three who evaded screening on return from Italy, were reported in Kerala, prompting the government on Sunday to sound a renewed alert and warn action against those hiding travel history to affected nations.

All the five, who tested positive for the infection days after the country's first three coronavirus patients from the state recovered, are relatives and hail from Ranni in Pathnamthitta district, Health minister, K K Shailaja told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Left front government intensified efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by tracking persons with whom the three latest infected people came into contact since arrival and put the state on high alert, especially in Pathanamthitta district where all public programmes and religious gatherings have been called off.

 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked everyone to follow the guidelines issued by the health department in the wake of the fresh cases.

Those who have come from nations affected by the virus, should get in touch through telephone with district medical officers or government hospitals without fail.

People who come to know about such cases also should inform authorities, Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

The three overseas returnees -- a couple in their 50s and their 24-year-old son -- had taken two connecting flights from Venice in Italy and arrived in Kochi international airport on February 29, but did not report their foreign travel to officials authorities and evaded screening, Shailaja said.

Two others affected are their close relatives staying at their home in Pathnamthitta.

Ranni MLA Raju Abraham said the affected persons had attended a wedding, gone for shopping, went to the office of a police official and it is assumed visited at least 300 friends and relatives near their home.

They went to a taluk hospital where they were first examined by medical personnel without using any masks or gloves, Abraham told PTI.

The medical superintendent later examined them after taking precautions and they were directed to get admitted to the isolation ward, which they refused at first.

Later they were forced to get admitted to the general hospital's isolation ward on March 6 and tests confirmed late Saturday that they had contracted the virus.

As a matter of abundant caution, the infected couple's parents, in their 90s, have also been hospitalised at Pathnamthitta.

The five fresh cases has been reported days after the southern state had successfully treated India's first three corona patients-- medical students from Wuhan who have been discharged from hospitals. Their home quarantine period is also over.

The health department said failure to inform authorities about travelled history and symptoms would be considered a crime, while the state police separately said it was "illegal and punishable" if anyone hid such information.

"The Italy-returned family hid their travel details from the health authorities. Such practices have to seen as a crime. Those who come from countries like Iran, Italy, South Korea and China should report to the health department immediately," Shailaja said.

"What they have done is irresponsible.But our concern now is to save their lives. Those who have come from corona affected countries should inform the health department immediately," she said.

Those who come from abroad should be in house surveillance for 28 days, a government release said.

The government released the flight details of the three people who traveled from Venice-Doha-Kochi. They had taken the Venice-Doha Qatar Airlines QR 126 flight on February 29.

For one-and half-hours they were at the Doha airport and took another flight QR514 of Qatar Airlines to Kochi from where they reached their home in Pathnamthitta by a car.

All the passengers who travelled in the two flights should get in touch with health authorities, Shailaja said.

With the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district is all set to open for monthly pujas on March 13, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages it, asked devotees not to visit the temple if they have any symptoms of the virus.

Shocked over the official report that the three infected people had evaded health screening, Ernakulam district administration on Sunday took stock of the arrangements at the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).

After a high-level meeting held at the airport, Ernakulam Collector S Suhas requested all co-passengers of the three people to get in touch with authorities as early as possible.

Airport sources said there were 182 passengers on the Doha-Kochi flight, which the trio had taken.

An operation has been launched for tracing all passengers on the flight and their secondary contacts and the employees who attended to them on February 29, a CIAL statement said.

Also, a massive disinfestation drive would be initiated from CIAL's side, it said.

The report of the five new cases came a day ahead of the all-women "Attukal Pongal" festival in Kerala on Monday when thousands of women from various parts of the state and outside, including foreigners, are expected to participate.

Those having cold, sore throat or showing any other symptoms of the virus should offer pongala in front of their homes instead of in crowded places, the Health Minister said.

An advisory from devaswom board said any person with travel history to COVID 19 affected countries or person with contact with such a traveller, whether they have symptoms or not, must remain in home isolation and offer pongala prayers at their respective places of stay.

"Their self isolation is the real prayer for the good of the community, their family and themselves", a statement said.