Thomas (93), father of the Ranni natives who had returned from Italy on February 29 and had generated controversy after they allegedly evaded screening, is on the path to recovery after he was infected by the coronavirus, Onmanorama reported. Initially, Thomas and his wife were admitted to the Pathanamthitta General Hospital, but with their health worsening they were urgently shifted to Kottayam Medical College. Thomas had a heart condition, and soon enough he developed respiratory problems. His oxygen levels plummeted to alarming levels and he had to be put on ventilator. Within 24 hours, he suffered a heart attack. His wife Mariamma (86), on her part, had urinary problems and she also contracted a severe bacterial infection to go with the severe virus attack. It was four days ago that Thomas was taken off the ventilator.
The Ranni natives case had generated controversy in Kerala. Three overseas returnees—a couple in their 50s and their 24-year-old son—had taken two connecting flights from Venice in Italy and arrived in Kochi international airport on February 29, but did not report their foreign travel to officials authorities and evaded screening, Shailaja said. Two others affected are their close relatives staying at their home in Pathnamthitta. Ranni MLA Raju Abraham said the affected persons had attended a wedding, gone for shopping, went to the office of a police official and it is assumed visited at least 300 friends and relatives near their home. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked everyone to follow the guidelines issued by the health department in the wake of the case.
On Tuesday, the government reported 227 fresh cases of infection nationwide, the highest for a day. The total tally is now 1,251 While the Union Health Ministry maintained the deadly virus was still in the local transmission stage in India and yet to move to the community transmission phase, the Supreme Court cautioned that fear and panic are becoming a bigger problem than the coronavirus.
The government also said there was no immediate plan to extend the 21-day lockdown period, which entered its sixth day on Monday, while the Indian Army dismissed as "fake" social media posts about a possible emergency declaration next month.
In its latest update, the Union Home Ministry said the dealth toll due to COVID-19 has risen to 32 and the number of total positive cases to 1,251 as on Monday 9.30pm, up from 1,024 positive cases and 27 deaths as on Sunday evening. While there are more than 1,100 active cases, nearly 100 have been cured.
-Inputs from Onmanorama
