THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the state starting to report more incidence of imported coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, the state Health department has decided to heighten its surveillance at the periphery. Anticipating the possibility of air passengers skipping the screening facilities set up at airports, the department has decided to strengthen the networking at the ground level.
For that, the department will ensure close coordination between Asha, Anganwadi and Kudumbashree workers, junior health inspectors, junior public health nurses, ward members and residents associations. The department is also said to be giving shape to a contingency plan for dealing with cases of local transmission and community transmission if any.
“There might be loopholes in the screening facilities set up at airports. Also, some passengers who arrived from COVID-19 notified countries are yet to contact the health authorities. If they go undetected, the imported cases could lead to local transmission and then to community transmission,” said an officer of the health department.
The officer further added that except for two, all positive cases reported in the state are imported. Of them, four cases are Italy returnees and three had come from Wuhan. All three from Wuhan have now been cured and discharged.
According to the officer, in many of the countries that get notified for COVID-19, the imported cases had led to local transmission. “Of the five cases reported from Pathanamthitta, two are of local transmission. To contain the same, intensified contact tracing and home quarantine of close contacts is needed. Once local cases go up and the links couldn’t be established, it will be considered community transmission. If it comes to that, the priority will not be for contact tracing, but for community-level quarantine or lockdown — a strategy being implemented by some countries,” the officer said.
KU imposes restrictions
T’Puram: In the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, Kerala University has issued orders extending by a week the leave of students who have left for their home districts, where the virus alert has been declared. University hostel wardens have been directed to restrict travel of students from hostel to home and back. As directed by UGC, restrictions will also be placed on seminars, study tours and public functions in varsity departments, a university spokesperson said.