India's oldest COVID survivor from Kerala and his wife get discharged after recovering

Amidst the soaring number of COVID-19 cases in India and the growing crisis, a positive report emerged on Friday as a 93-year-old Kerala man recovered from Coronavirus. The 93-year-old man and his wife were discharged from the hospital today making the Kottayam resident India's oldest survivor of a virus which severely affects the elderly. The couple had contracted the virus after coming into contact with their son and his family who had returned from Italy. 

Meanwhile, 9 people have tested positive in Kerala as of Friday, taking the toll to 295. Out of the 9 who tested positive, 3 people had attended the Tablighi Jammat event in Delhi. Currently, 251 people are under treatment for the virus in the state and 14 were cured today, CM Pinarayi Vijayan informed. A total of 1.69 lakh people are under surveillance in the state and 706 are in various hospitals. Two fatalities have been reported from the state so far.

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Kerala CM requests PM Modi to ensure safety of state's diaspora

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an assurance that inter-state goods movement would not be affected by the lockdown. CM Vijayan conveyed his message to PM Modi during video conferencing on Thursday. 

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"Neighbouring states should not create hurdles during this crisis period and all states should fight this pandemic together. Inter-state goods movement should not be restricted during the lockdown," the Chief Minister said.

CM Vijayan also sought the intervention of the Central Government in ensuring the safety of the Kerala workforce spread across the world. "Indian embassies should provide assistance in setting up quarantine centres in countries which have a large number of Indian expatriates and especially nurses from Kerala. It is our duty to ensure their personal safety too," he said. 

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