KOCHI: KOCHI: The passengers of Kozhikode - Thiruvananthapuram Janashatabdi Express and the railway authorities had some anxious time when it came to light that a COVID-positive person had boarded the train after violating quarantine.
"The 29-year-old man boarded the train from Kozhikode and had bought a ticket to Thiruvananthapuram. It was only when the train reached Thrissur did the railway authorities received information about the person," said an official. According to the official, the railways was notified by the Kozhikode district medical officer.
"As soon as we received the information, the same was conveyed to the station master of Thrissur Railway Station. But the train had departed from the station. Following this, the Ernakulam station manager was notified along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials," he said. When the train arrived in Ernakulam, the railway health inspector along with the RPF officers intercepted the man and escorted him outside, added the official.
He was travelling in the D3 compartment of the train, said the official. "After the person was deboarded and taken to an isolation room at the railway station, the other passengers in the coach were shifted to D4 and the those in D4 were shifted to D5. The D3 compartment was sanitised," the official said. He said the passengers who were travelling along with the COVID positive person have been identified as his primary contacts.
"Their contact information has been handed over to the state health department authorities. All of them have been directed to go into quarantine and the authorities at their destinations have been notified. These passengers will be monitored on their arrival and handed over to the health department officials," he said.
The 29-year-old man is a native of Kanyakumari. "He is asymptomatic and had been working in Kozhikode. He boarded the train to go back to his native place and is presumed to be ignorant of the gravity of his actions," said the official.
The train, once it reaches Thiruvananthapuram, will be disinfected completely before conducting any more services, added the official.