THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In Varkala, Covid-19 has left the residents once again in uncertainty. The panic caused by an Italian tourist testing positive here in March is still fresh in their memories. The patient has been cured and he left for his country on Tuesday. However, on Thursday, a 44-year-old Sharjah returnee tested positive after finishing his quarantine period.The samples of his wife, three kids, brother-in-law and his wife are amongst the samples sent. “They are all under quarantine.
They were provided food on Friday by the municipal officials. The children in nearby houses who used to play with the patient’s kids are also under observation along with the parents of his wife who live with her brother,” said an official.
Meanwhile, there were rumours on social media that the patient was sighted in a few places recently. However, officials denied such reports. “The only outsider the patient came into contact with is the brother-in-law who used to buy things for the family. The patient also travelled to three hospitals. He visited Varkala Taluk Hospital thrice and later Govt Medical College and SAT Hospital. In these instances, he stayed inside the car while the family went for consultation,” said the official. However, some neighbours claimed the patient had gone to a nearby shopping centre recently.
The route map preparation is underway. The patient returned from Sharjah on March 19 and has been in quarantine. He gave his sample on Tuesday and the result came on Thursday. “We have disinfected the area and all who came into contact with the family are in quarantine. Primary and secondary contacts were traced,” said Bindhu Haridas, chairperson, Varkala municipality.
“Based on details provided after contact tracing, we will decide on the restrictions. We are evaluating the situation. The family is now under home quarantine. The patient showed no symptoms earlier and is stable now,” said K Gopalakrishnan, district collector.