A total of 151 Keralites arriving from Karnataka through the Kootupuzha bridge on the Kerala-Karnataka border were shifted to various COVID-19 care centres on Thursday.
The group including students from different parts of Karnataka, have been housed at the centres. On Thursday morning, 62 men, nine women and 10 children were accommodated at St Thomas’ Higher Secondary School, Kunnoth.
They were shifted to various hotels in Kannur by night in two KSRTC buses. They have been housed at Arafa International, Vichitra and Centaur Hotels in Kannur. Several hotels, such as the Blue Nile, Royal Omars, Malabar Residency and The Rainbow Suites, have been taken over as COVID-19 care centres in Kannur. The taking over of the hotels were conducted under the leadership of Kannur tahsildar V.M. Sajeevan and deputy tahsildar K.V. Shaju.
In addition, 31 people, including 28 men, two women and one child, were taken to the Taliparamba Ayurvedic Hospital in the last few days for observation. Besides, 39 people are under observation at a pre matric hostel and one at Payyambalam TTI.
The surveillance work on the Kootupuzha border is being led by Iritty tahsildar K.K. Divakaran, Payam panchayat president N. Asokan and the Taluk Hospital Superintendent.
Those who are currently in care centers will be transferred to homes if they do not show symptoms after 14 days of observation. A medical team has been assigned to monitor the supply of essential items, including food, to care centres. District Collector T.V. Subhash said that no visit to the observation centres would be allowed.
Those who cross the State border are admitted on a 14-day quarantine basis. Those who do not volunteer for surveillance would be sent back from the border. The border check will be tightened in the coming days, he said.
