COVID-19: Surveillance team tracing co-passengers who travelled with coronavirus positive patient to Mangaluru

Minister for Health and Family Welfare B Sriramulu said that after a man who travelled from Dubai in Air-India Express IX 814 flight to Mangalore International Airport tested positive for coronavirus in Kasargod, the surveillance team of Dakshina Kannada and Kasargod district in Kerala are tracing all the immediate passengers who have travelled with him.

Chairing a review meeting in Mangaluru, he said the surveillance teams of both the districts are working in coordination to trace people who came in contact with him.

Follow live updates of coronavirus cases in India here

The said passenger had travelled from Dubai on March 14 and was tested positive on March 16. The surveillance team will trace all those places and people whom he had contacted and visited after reaching Mangaluru, the minister said. He added that a testing laboratory to test samples of coronavirus cases will be set up in Mangaluru at the earliest.

All precautionary measures will be taken to monitor the passengers who travelled with the said patient from Kasargod, he added.

Further, Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said that all the sevas in temples in Dakshina Kannada district will be suspended for the time being. The public, however, will be allowed to have darshan of the deity at the temple.

Only temple staff will be allowed to take part in the annual temple fairs and other mahotsavs as a precautionary measure. The thermal screening will be started at the railway stations shortly.