Denied hotel room, Chinese national camps at isolation ward of Kerala hospital

Jishou Shao, 25, had reached India on January 23 and came to the state capital on Tuesday.

The first group of patients being taken to the Huoshenshan temporary field hospital in China’s Wuhan on Tuesday | AP 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Chinese national who could not find accommodation in city hotels took shelter in the isolation ward set up for suspected coronavirus victims at the General Hospital here on Wednesday.

Jishou Shao, 25, had reached India on January 23 and came to the state capital on Tuesday. Owing to the virus scare, hotels denied him a room. Finally, Jishou approached the city police commissioner’s office.

Police officers told him the isolation ward was the only option left and also that there is a strict direction from the government to keep suspected people under surveillance.

“Hotels couldn’t be compelled to give him accommodation. Also, we felt it was ideal to get him tested at a facility,” a police officer said.