Kerala minister tells local rescue team to undergo quarantine

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State government has advised all those who rushed to the accident site near Karipur airport on Friday and selflessly plunged into rescue operations to undergo quarantine. The advisory comes in the wake of the reports that some of the passengers on the ill-fated flight tested positive for Covid-19. The health department’s initiative is an attempt to contain the possible spread of the disease in and around Karipur.
Health minister KK Shailaja, while lauding the humanitarian efforts made by residents, airport employees, volunteers, policemen, ambulance workers and the media, said the advisory was issued only to ensure that the health scene in Karipur airport area, which already is a containment zone, does not worsen.
“The impact of the accident was lessened by the timely intervention of goodhearted people in that area. Most of them couldn’t adhere to Covid protocols when faced with such a colossal emergency. Those who engaged in rescue operations should compulsorily observe home quarantine. Government will make arrangements for their Covid testing,” she said.
The minister has also warned against rumour mongering in this connection. All those who became part of the rescue operations were asked to contact health authorities at the earliest and provide their details. “If anybody needs expert medical support, provisions for the same will be made by the health department that has started compiling a list of people engaged in rescue work, Shailaja said.
For assistance and information, those engaged in rescue operations may contact Disha: 1056, 0471 2552056, or district control numbers (Malappuram: 0483 2733251, 2733252, 2733253, Kozhikode: 0495 2376063, 2371471, 2373901)