The Cochin International Airport Lt (CIAL) authorities on Sunday off-loaded 289 passengers of a Dubai-bound flight shortly before takeoff, after a tourist from United Kingdom, who tested positive for novel coronavirus, was found among them. The UK citizen was part of a 19-member group touring the hill resort town of Munnar and he was under observation. He came to the airport, along with the group, without informing the authorities in Munnar, a CIAL spokesman said. When the test result came, the authorities came to know that he was at the Kochi airport and travelling by an Emirates flight. It was decided to off-load all 19 passengers of his group, he said.
As the news broke, the authorities shut down the Tea County resort where the tourists stayed in Munnar. The hotel is owned by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation. The UK citizen reached Munnar on March 7 and his samples were tested two days later by the health department officials. The tourist group had checked out on Saturday, according to TV reports. The resort staff did not inform authorities that the UK citizen left for Kochi airport. A meeting of high-level officials, headed by Electricity Minister M.M. Mani, was conducted Idukki following the incident