With COVID-19 spreading rapidly across India, the people who flout quarantine and isolation are the greatest menace faced by district administrations who are working round-the-clock to control the outbreak.
With COVID-19 spreading rapidly across India, the people who flout quarantine and isolation are the greatest menace faced by district administrations who are working round-the-clock to control the outbreak.
In one such case, a native of Palakkad, had travelled extensively after his return from Umrah, Saudi Arabia had flouted quarantine and has extensively travelled to several places including Coimbatore.
On March 25, his test results indicated that he was infected with the virus. Between the time of his arrival and testing, he was requested to be quarantined at his house in Karakkurrissi village in Central Palakkad where he lived with his son, who is a KSRTC bus conductor.
The son is said to have handled bus routes from Palakkad to Coimbatore and upto Tiruvananthapuram. The serum sample of the son has been sent for testing.
Speaking about the case, D. Balamurali, Palakkad District Collector said, "If the serum test turns positive, then we will have to start contact tracing. The preliminary route map of the Palakkad man's travel will be put out soon."
The man returned from Saudi Arabia on March 13 and came under observation on March 21. Inspite of being on home isolation, the man flouted the rules and visited banks and nearby shops in the area.
The son was put on bus duty from Mannarkad via Attapadi, to Coimbatore, on March 17 and the Palakkad to Thiruvananthapuram route, the next day.
The bus timing will be released soon and the people who travelled on the Coimbatore - Thiruvananthapuram route on these dates will have to inform authorities and quarantine themselves.
In a similar incident, a Kasaragod native who arrived from abroad, visited a lot of places and had been in contact with a few hundred people before he was tested positive. This has caused a great setback to the progress that was being made in handling the COVID-19 cases in Kerala.