A 50-year-old man who reached here from Chennai was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on Monday even when the district was preparing to declare itself as disease-free.
The man from Sreekrishnapuram returned from Chennai on May 6 along with eight others in a vehicle. The driver was from Tamil Nadu.
The team reached Walayar check-post at 9 a.m. on May 6 and underwent health checkup there. The man in question had no symptoms then. The team was then shifted to Kerala Medical College near Cherpulassery for institutional quarantine.
He was shifted to Government Taluk Hospital, Ottapalam, on Sunday when he developed physical discomfort. He was tested positive on Monday.
He was managing a tea shop in Chennai. He closed the shop on April 22 as business was down. He returned by using the pass issued by the district authorities.
The District Medical Officer said the others who returned along with him would continue in quarantine and would be tested for COVID-19.