The ‘slip-up’ in the vigil against COVID-19 virus reportedly dominated the high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Sunday to review the pestilence control measures adopted by the State government.
The government appeared caught off guard when a British citizen under surveillance by the health authorities for suspected COVID-19 gave the Idukki district administration the slip.
Authorities were alarmed when the tourist and his companions dashed for the Kochi airport soon after the administration discovered that he had tested positive for the virus and posed a severe public health risk.
Officials interdicted the group from flying to Dubai. The police have booked the manager of the State-owned resort where the tourist stayed under supervision for criminal negligence.
The government also seemed unwatchful when hundreds of members of a local cooperative bank congregated in large numbers in a constricted locality at Vamanapuram here to vote to elect new office-bearers. The district administration appeared to have woken up to the risk belatedly and cancelled the polling midway.
Mr. Vijayan had reportedly asked the police, revenue, tourism and cooperative departments to explain the oversights. He ordered resorts, home-stays and hotels to inform the police about the port of departure and travel history of their foreign guests.
Only those who tested negative for the virus would qualify for travel. The State police have to update revenue and health authorities about the whereabouts of foreigners. Mr. Vijayan said vigilance and not alarm would halt the march of the disease. Authorities should ensure the partial lock down did not disrupt life.
Public and private transport bus services should normalise operations. Officials should ensure that commerce and trade were restored. They should facilitate the functioning of malls and markets.
Mr. Vijayan ordered District Collectors to call a meeting of the management of places of worship to brief them about the need to take pestilence control precautions, including a measure of social distancing, to break the chain of the infection.
The government would train and deploy citizens who have offered to help the State's disease control bid as "paramedic volunteers" to screen for infected persons in trains and at railway stations.
Chief Secretary Tom Jose, State Police Chief Loknath Behera, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Biswas Mehta, and Principal Secretary, Health, Rajan Khobragade and Additional Director General of Police T.K. Vinod Kumar were present.