Three more people, including an Italian national, tested positive for coronavirus in Kerala on Friday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
With the three fresh cases, the number of affected people in the state has touched 19, he told reporters here.
"An Italian tourist, who was staying at a resort in nearby Varkala, has tested positive and is kept in isolation there itself," Vijayan said.
Health minister K K Shailaja, who was also present, said the foreigner will be shifted to the medical college hospital later.
Vijayan also said yesterday's unconfirmed case in Thiruvananthapuram also tested positive.
"The third person is a UK-returnee and is in the isolation ward at the medical college hospital here," he said.
At least 5,468 people are under surveillance in the state, Vijayan said, adding that 277 have been lodged in isolation wards at various hospitals across the state.
The chief minister also said 1,715 samples have been sent for testing of which 1,132 turned out to be negative.
Vijayan said local self-governments were taking effective preventive measures to fight the coronanvirus threat.
"The state government has been engaged in inspecting the foreigners staying in homestays, hotels and resorts in the state and ensuring that they are not infected," the chief minister said.
The state has also initiated steps to monitor everyone who reaches the state through airports and the government has held discussions with airport authorities.
The state's entry point will also be monitored by health department officials and they will be assisted by police officials also, Vijayan said.
The Kerala State Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a public sector undertaking, has assured the state government that it would produce enough sanitisers for the state.
"The Kerala state drugs and pharmaceuticals limited has informed the government that they had started manufacturing sanitisers for distribution in the state.
They told us that they can produce one lakh bottles within ten days," Vijayan said.
The state government has also called an all-party meeting on March 16 to discuss the COVID-19 situation.
This was a meeting which was already scheduled to discuss the matters related to census.
Police have registered 14 cases against some people on charges of spreading fake news on coronavirus.
Eight people have been arrested, police said.
The state health department has also initiated a massive tracking exercise to trace a person who came in contact with newly infected people, according to sources.
The district authorities have prepared the route map of the affected people and started the tracking exercise.
Against the backdrop of the coronavirus scare, the Kerala Assembly on Friday cut short its ongoing session and adjourned sine die.
The decision was taken at the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Assembly.
An elderly man, who was a neighbour of a coronavirus patient at Chengalam in Kottayam district and under home quarantine, died on Friday en route to hospital and authorities are awaiting the post-mortem report and test results of samples to confirm the cause of death.
Meanwhile, two foreign nationals allegedly fled from the Alappuzha Medical college after being admitted to the isolation ward.
Police said they refused to give their samples and details of their passport.
The Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala, which was opened this evening for monthly poojas, witnessed very few number of devotees turning up for darshan.
Kerala has been hit by the second round of coronavirus cases after the country's first three positive cases from the state were successfully cured and discharged from hospitals last month.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
