COVID outbreak: Collector, 7 doctors, two senior IPS officers quarantined; two fresh cases in Kerala

A district collector, two senior IPS officers and seven doctors were among those who have been quarantined on a day when two fresh cases were reported, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 497, even as Kerala made masks mandatory in public places and booked over 900 people on Thursday.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said cases were registered against 954 people on the first day for failing to wear masks. While 14 people were declared cured of the infection, two new cases were reported on Thursday.

Fortynine staff, including 7 doctors and 16 nurses, of a private hospital have been advised to go into quarantine after two positive cases were reported from Neyyattikara in Thiruvananthapuram, while in another hospital , where the positive patient had taken treatment, 29 health workers are under observation.

A case has been registered against Attingal MP Adoor Prakash for taking part in a food-kit distribution organised by 'Lawyers Congress' without maintaining social distancing as part of health protocol. Police said the case was registered against the Congress MP, a few lawyers and around 50 others for gathering in a public place without ensuring social distancing.

However, Prakash told the media that the case was an act of political vengeance. The Congress party protested against the registration of the case against its MP and said state Minister Kadakampally Surendran had also recently participated in a similar event where many were present, but he had gone scotfree.

Asked about the registration of the case against the Congress leaders, Chief Minister Vijayan said he had not come across any such reports. There were 70 hotspots in the state and in Kasaragod the district collector and two IGPs are under quarantine after they had come in contact with a journalist who had tested positive on Wednesday.

Strict lockdown restrictions would be implemented in the areas marked as red spot districts and hotspots.

"The two new cases are from Malappuram and Kasaragod. One person reached from Maharashtra and the other person was a contact of an affected person. Till now 497 people have contracted the disease and currently 111 people are under treatment," Vijayan told reporters after a daily COVID-19 evaluation meet. At least 3.53 lakh people have registered in the NORKA website for the expatriates to return to the state, once the Centre decides to operate flights.

"As per the latest numbers, 3,53,468 people have registered from 201 countries in the NORKA website to return to the state. Most number of registration is from UAE--1.53 lakh. Over 47,000 have registered from Saudi Arabia while 2,112 have registered from the UK, 1,895 from USA and 1764 from Ukraine," Vijayan said.

The state government will handover the priority list to the Centre and the embassies so as to devise a plan to bring them back.

A total of 94,483 Keralites from other states have also registered in NORKA website to return to the state.

Over 4 000 cases were registered for violating lockdown restrictions and police recorded arrest of 4,071 people.

In the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram, few areas under Neyyattinkara municipality has been declared as a hotspot after two positive cases were reported on Wednesday. As per the latest medical bulletin issued on Thursday, a total of 20,711 people are under observation in the state with 426 in isolation wards of various hospitals. The state has till now sent 25,973 samples for testing.

Kannur distirct in the state has 47 positive cases whereas there are 18 positive cases in Kottayam. Idukki has reported 14 cases while Kollam 12 cases.

Image Credit: PTI