Five more positive cases of coronavirus reported in Kerala
A family of five from Pathanamthitta, Kerala, have been quarantined for testing positive for the deadly coronavirus
FollowThiruvananthapuram: Five more people from Kerala have tested positive for coronavirus, state health minister, KK Shailaja said.
Among the five people, all residents of Pathanamthitta district who tested positive are a couple in their 50s and their 26-year-old son. All five have been admitted to the Pathnamathitta general hospital and are under observation.
While three of them had returned from Italy on February 29, two others were their relatives, the minister said. Their tests were confirmed last night.
State health minister KK Shailaja said the family did not share their travel history at the airport and were not screened.
"They also refused to be hospitalised initially and we had to persuade them," the minister said.
"On returning, the family met some relatives. It was the relatives who approached a hospital with symptoms, and they were isolated. Two of the relatives have tested positive. The family which travelled to Italy was also isolated later," the minister said.
"We are urging people to share the travel information with authorities. Â We have stepped up the precaution in Pathanamthitta. We have started contact tracing, the minister said.
Earlier, India's first three positive cases had been reported from the state.Â
All the three patients, medical students from Wuhan, have been treated and discharged from hospitals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a review meeting with officials to discuss the outbreak.
They were asked to identify locations for sufficient quarantine facilities and make provisions for critical care in case the disease spreads further.
There are a total of 39 positive cases in India.
