KOZHIKODE/KOCHI: The passengers of the Kannur-Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express and railway authorities went through some anxious moments on Friday after it came to light that a Covid-positive person was travelling in the train. It was during the course of the journey that the health authorities informed the person that he has tested positive. According to railway authorities, the 29-year-old native of Kanyakumari district boarded the train from Kozhikode to Thiruvananthapuram. He was en route to his hometown of Nagercoil to visit his pregnant wife.
Kunnamangalam Health Inspector Suresh Babu said the person had given his swab samples for Covid test at a private laboratory in Kozhikode, anticipating a train journey to visit his wife. “But his wife’s delivery date was preponed and he had to undertake the journey before the test results were out,” said Suresh.
According to a railway official, the Kozhikode District Medical Office notified the railway authorities that the person travelling in the train had tested positive for Covid.
“It was only when the train reached Thrissur did the railway authorities receive information about the person,” said the official. “As soon as we received the information, we conveyed it to the station master at the Thrissur station. But the train had departed from the station. Following this, the Ernakulam station manager and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel were notified,” said the official.
When the train reached the Ernakulam north station, the railway health inspector along with the RPF officers intercepted and made him get down, said the official. Ernakulam District Surveillance Officer (Covid) Dr Sreedevi S said the person has been admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital at Kalamassery.
“After deboarding from the train, he was taken to an isolation room at the railway station. The other passengers who were travelling along with him in the D3 coach were then shifted to D4 coach. Those in D4 were moved to D5 coach. The D3 coach was then sanitised,” said the official. According to him, the passengers who were travelling with the person have been identified as his primary contacts.
“Their contact information has been handed over to the state health department. All of them have been directed to go into quarantine and the authorities of the destination stations have been notified. These passengers will be monitored on their arrival,” said the official.
The 29-year-old, a supervisor at a private electrical company which has undertaken the sub-contract work of upgrading the KSEB Kunnamangalam Sub-Station, has been staying at Chathamangalam since May this year. The health wing is yet to figure out his source of infection.