IDUKKI: With the district on high alert after the first positive case of coronavirus was confirmed in a UK tourist who stayed at a Munnar resort, an Italian national who arrived at Wagamon on Saturday was forced to sleep in the cemetery of a church located on the Wagamon-Pullikkanam route as he failed to get a room in any of the resorts or hotels.
According to Bennet Raj S R, who works as a government-approved tourist guide in Idukki, a tourist with a backpack had arrived in Wagamon by 6pm on Saturday. “Although he had tried to get a room in some of the resorts here, the hotels and resorts were not accommodating tourists following a strict instruction to this effect from the police and health officials,” he said.
As a majority of establishments in Wagamon were closed and the foreigner didn’t get a room in any of the resorts, he also approached a church in the area to give him a facility to stay for the night. “However, the church authorities denied his request as the vicar was not there at the time,” Bennet said
By 8.55 pm on Saturday, the man arrived in front of Bennet’s house in Wagamon and enquired whether there was any accommodation available. “When I asked him about his nationality, he told me that he was from Italy. However, he was reluctant to disclose any further details. When I explained the situation, he went away,” he said.
Bennet later informed health department, panchayat and police officials about the incident, and they conducted a search in the Wagamon-Pullikkanam area till 1am, but couldn’t trace the tourist.
At 6.25am on Sunday, a group of local residents who reached a church located on the Wagamon-Pullikkanam route for morning prayers saw the tourist coming out of the church cemetery.
As Jepson tried to move away when the tourist approached him, the tourist asked him what had happened to him and walked away.
Although Jepson informed it to the Wagamon police, the tourist boarded a KSRTC going from Kattappana to Kottayam. Though the bus employees informed the Kottayam station officials about the tourist’s arrival, he had left the station before the police arrived.