Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and three other ministers, including Health Minister K.K. Shailaja, went into self-quarantine on Friday after they came in the primary contact list of Malappuram district collector who tested positive for the coronavirus infection, official sources said.
According to media reports, both the chief minister and the health minister tested negative for the disease. However, they will continue to be in quarantine.
Malappuram Collector K. Gopalakrishnan had coordinated the search and rescue operations at the Karipur International Airport after an Air India Express flight had veered off the tabletop runway and crashed into a valley and broke into pieces on August 7.
Eighteen people were killed and several others were injured in the mishap.
The collector, deputy collector and assistant collector, superintendent of police were among 20-odd people who have tested positive on Friday.
"I have been tested positive today and I am asymptomatic," Gopalakrishnan told PTI.
Ministers A.C. Moideen and E. Chandrashekharan too have gone into self-quarantine after they came in the primary contact list of the collector.
DGP Loknath Behera has also gone on quarantine.
The chief minister, ministers, the chief secretary and other officials had visited the site and the injured a day after the accident.
