MALAPPURAM: Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel has said a case would be registered against the 40-year-old madrasa teacher, son of the 85-year-old in Kariyamad near Poonthanam in Perinthalmanna who tested positive for the Covid-19 infection in the district on Thursday. The minister was speaking to reporters here on Friday. The 40-year-old who recently returned after completing the Umrah pilgrimage on March 11 is suspected to have transmitted the virus to his father.
The Umrah-returnee also travelled to many places and attended many functions in the district violating home quarantine guidelines. “While the man was given strict instructions to stay home-quarantined, he participated in many functions including a religious gathering which had around 180 people in attendance. The person’s irresponsible behaviour may have put the entire district at risk,” Jaleel said.
As of now, the health department here has initiated steps to find out whether there is any possible community spread occurred through the person. “Tracing the places he travelled is a herculean task. Rapid testing of the random samples taken from the Keezhattur panchayat will be conducted,” Jaleel added.
According to the health department, even after the man’s father started showing symptoms of the infection on March 26, the family didn’t inform the health department. Instead, they took him to four hospitals in the district seeking treatment. The 85-year-old father was admitted to the Manjeri Medical College Hospital only on Thursday. Meanwhile, the family members — his wife; son, the madrasa teacher; daughter-in-law and two grandchildren — have been admitted to the isolation wards of the Manjeri MCH.