The Health Department has issued an alert in Kozhikode district after two people who returned from the U.K. recently tested positive for the new strain of SARS-CoV-2.
According to sources, those found to be infected are a 36-year-old man and his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter from the district.
Health Minister K.K. Shylaja, who opened a new MRI unit under the aegis of the Kerala Health Research and Welfare Society at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, through online mode on Tuesday, said that people should strictly follow restrictions. She urged people to be vigilant against the new strain of the virus that had undergone genetic mutation. Though the government had been lifting restrictions of late, people would have to abide by the directions of the Health Department. The number of people participating in celebrations and festivals would have to be reduced, added Ms. Shylaja.
Meanwhile, department sources said that those who had been in contact with the U.K. returnees, including their family members, were under surveillance. They had returned on December 22. Their health condition is reported to be stable. People with existing health issues and senior citizens have been asked to observe reverse quarantine. They should avoid crowds and public places. There should be no compromise on the use of hand sanitisers and face masks and observance of physical distancing, they added.
