Kerala students tested positive for COVID-19 are stable, says Health Minister Shailaja

All the three Wuhan, China returned students from Kerala who were tested positive of the deadly coronavirus are stable and at their home,  Kerala Health Minister K. K. Shailaja informed on Wednesday. Kerala was the first state to report three positive cases of COVID-19.

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"The three students are free to move around as their isolation period is over," Shailaja told.

Shailaja further said that on 3 March, Tuesday a meeting was conducted with Rapid Response Team (RRT) to discuss the further steps to curb the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus once again in the state. She also informed that the situation in Kerala has stabilized and has appealed to people to come forward and inform about those people who display the symptoms of coronavirus.

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"I appeal to the people to inform us about anyone who might be having coronavirus symptoms as it is not possible for the government officials to be everywhere and monitor each person," she said

Strengthen surveillance at the airports, Health Minister Shailaja

The second phase of the meeting also discussed strengthening the surveillance at the airports, Health Minister said. 

"During the meeting, as part of the second phase, it was decided to strengthen the surveillance in airports. In the first phase, we took prompt action and controlled it well. We have to be very cautious as other places in India have now reported confirmed cases of coronavirus. Our surveillance has to be continued strictly," said Shailaja.

The Health Minister said that the state government have decided to strengthen the monitoring in airports. "If a person is coming from the affected region with any symptom he/she will be directly shifted to the isolation ward. If they don't have symptoms they will be referred for home quarantine. Now we have below 30 people in hospitals with mild symptoms," the health minister said.

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Earlier in the day as many as 459 passengers of the Italian luxury cruise ship 'Costa Victoria', which was docked in Kochi, were screened for respiratory symptoms and fever. The Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday confirmed 28 cases of coronavirus in the country.

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(With inputs from ANI)