IDUKKI: The KTDC-owned Tea County Resort in Munnar, where the COVID-19-infected UK national stayed, was closed down temporarily by the health department on Sunday. According to officers, visitors will not be allowed there until further notice.
The Idukki district administration has formed a 250-member special medical team in Munnar to carry out preventive activities in the wake of coronavirus infection being confirmed on foreign tourist. According to official sources, the infected foreigner reached Munnar on March 10.
The 22-member team, including the infected person, his wife, 17 other tourists, a guide, the driver and cleaner of the vehicle in which they travelled, reached the resort in the morning on March 10.
The team visited some nearby locations including Mattuppetty the same day. However, as the UK national developed fever in the evening, he along with his wife sought medical assistance at Munnar General Hospital.
As hospital authorities found symptoms of COVID-19, they reported the same to health department officials who took the couple to Kottayam Medical College Hospital the next day (March 11) and their sebum samples were collected. They returned to the resort in the evening.
Since then, as per the health officials, the couple had been staying under observation in the resort.
“However, at 10.30 pm on Saturday, the duo left for Kochi without the knowledge of the resort employees,” according to a source.
District collector H Dhineshan said the circumstances under which the foreigner left the resort would be probed.