Medical staff dispose garbage outside an isolation ward for coronavirus, at a hospital in Kochi, on Monday
The novel coronavirus was on Monday declared as a 'state calamity' by the Kerala government. At least 2,239 persons exhibiting symptoms of the epidemic are under medial observation across the state. The order declaring coronavirus as a state disaster has been passed by the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Out of 2,239 persons under observation, eighty-four are in hospital while the rest are under home quarantine.
The order comes hours after the state confirmed the third positive case of Coronavirus. All the three infected patients have been kept under high isolation and doctors are examining them. They had recently returned from China's Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic.
The country's first novel coronavirus case was reported from Thrissur in Kerala on Thursday with a woman medical student who returned from Wuhan testing positive for the infection. While the second patient, who is also a student from Wuhan, returned to Kerala on January 24.
The third Coronavirus infected patient is under treatment at the Kanjangad District Hospital in Kasaragod and his condition is stable.
Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja also said that to speed up the process of testing, all arrangements have been made in the state laboratory. The virology lab in Alappuzha district now has the facility and that would save time. Currently, all the suspected samples are being sent to Pune's laboratory.
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