Alarming! After Third Positive Case, Kerala Declares Coronavirus Outbreak A 'State Calamity'
The Kerala government has declared the Coronavirus outbreak as a state calamity after a third patient was tested positive for the deadly infection.?
Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said that the decision was as made as per the direction of Chief Minister Pinarayi and the Disaster Management Authority's apex committee meeting on the wake of the epidemic outbreak in the state.?
The third case of the coronavirus outbreak in the state was confirmed on Monday, from the northern district of Kasaragod.According to reports, the third patient too was a student who had recently returned from Wuhan and all the three were classmates at Wuhan University.?
Confirming the development the health minister also said that the condition of all three are stable and that the two patients who had earlier tested positive have shown signs of improvement.?
The Kerala government has also begun identifying people with whom the infected persons might have come into contact before they were quarantined.Kerala government officials said 2,239 persons from the state who had been to China recently have been put under observation, including 2,155 under home quarantine, while 84 have been isolated in hospitals.?
So far 140 samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV)in Pune, out of which 36 have been found to be negative and three positive. The results of the remaining samples are awaited.While urging people to remain cautious, she reiterated that there was no need for panic and appealed to everyone to strictly follow the guidelines issued by the government.?
Other than identifying people who may have come into contact with those returning from China, the Kerala government has also stepped up efforts to inform do's and don't about the virus.Corona control rooms have also been set up at the health department headquarters as well at the district headquarters. Efforts to prevent the spread of fake news and misinformation about the viral infection.?
There was also an incident in the state when a student who had recently returned from Wuhan refused to go to the doctors, claiming that prayers will keep her safe. After this came to light, the authorities had to counsel her for nearly three hours before she agreed to go to the hospital.?
Kerala, which has experience in dealing with the Nipah outbreak in 2018 is perhaps the best-equipped state in the country to combat another deadly viral infection in the form of the Coronavirus.Within hours after the first case of Coronavirus was confirmed in Kerala, the sate machinery swung into action and 15 isolation wards were set up in a matter of 5 hours.
