E-Paper
12 fresh cases in Kerala, no community spread, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan
The Chief Minister said the state had conducted sentinel testing involving at least 5000 people in worst-affected areas and found only five positive cases.
Kerala has reported 12 coronavirus virus cases on Tuesday as stranded expatriates and people stuck in other states started returning in large numbers, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan adding among fresh cases four are Gulf returnees and 8 came from other states.
The Chief Minister said the state had conducted sentinel testing involving at least 5000 people in worst-affected areas and found only five positive cases. It showed community spread did not take place in the state, he said adding that most of the recent cases are imported ones.
“Our vigil helped containing the local spread. Since people started coming in large numbers we have to keep an eye on aged, people suffering from major ailments and children,” he said. He said around 75,000 people have reached the state in last ten days and the state will have to resort to reverse quarantine in a big way.
Reserve quarantine is a practice of isolating the most vulnerable people, aged or people with co-morbidity conditions, from the rest and monitor their health conditions closely to protect them from possible infection. Since the state has 30 per cent population above 65 years of age many health experts have suggested reverse quarantine.
Meanwhile three Congress MPs--V K Sreekandan, Remya Haridas and T N Prathapan_ who were on house quarantine tested negative. They were asked to go on quarantine after they visited the stranded people along TN-Kerala borders in Walayar. One of the persons came from Chennai was later tested positive. But MPs alleged “political bias” saying they were targeted due to political reasons. They observed a fast on Tuesday seeking quarantine for state minister A C Moideen, who they said, interacted with some of the affected. When asked about this the CM refused to comment.
The Chief Minister said a special train from New Delhi will start on Wednesday and a non-AC train will run on Bangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram route daily from Wednesday. He said at least 20 trains are being planned next week to bring stranded in different parts of the country.
