A 3-year-old child recently travelled to Italy has been tested positive for coronavirus in Kerala on Monday, raising the confirmed cases in India to 42 and six in Kerala. Earlier, 5 people of a family were tested positive with the COVID-19 virus in Kerala as three of them returned from Italy.
The child has been kept in the isolation ward at Ernakulam Medical College.
On March 7, the child along with his parents reached the Cochin International Airport Limited at 6 am. They were sent to the medical college after screening at the airport. The couple and the child were subjected to thermal screening at the universal surveillance system.
As the officials detected symptoms of coronavirus in the child, they immediately referred him to the isolation ward of the Kalamassery Medical College Hospital. Later, the samples were sent for examination at the NiV lab at Alappuzha, where it tested positive for coronavirus.
Kerala govt warns of stern action against those not reporting about overseas travel
Meanwhile, the Kerala government on Sunday warned of strict action, including prosecution, against those hiding such travel to affected countries and symptoms of the infection. The Health Department said failure to inform authorities about travel history and symptoms would be considered a crime, while the state police separately said it was "illegal and punishable" if anyone hid such information.
The warnings came on a day when Kerala reported five fresh cases of coronavirus, including three who had a recent travel history to Italy but evaded health screening at the airport on their return about a week ago.
The health department directed that those who come from coronavirus-affected nations should inform it at the earliest.
India reports 3 cases on Monday; confirmed cases surge to 42
On Monday three confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported from India, including the Kerala child. A factory worker in Agra who came in contact with an infected businessman, also tested positive with the coronavirus.
Moreover, a Jammu and Kashmir also reported its first confirmed coronavirus case on Monday.
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