COVID-19 Scare: Kerala Health Minister Says 'Hiding Travel History After Returning From Coronavirus Affected Areas is a Crime'

Kerala, March 11: The scare around coronavirus in the state increased as the number of infected people shoots up. Eight new cases of COVID-19 was reported, thus taking the total count of patients to 14 since Sunday. According to an ANI update, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said that those returning from coronavirus infected areas must reveal their travel history. Coronavirus: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Asks PM Narendra Modi to Withdraw ‘Negative’ COVID-19 Certificate for Entering India, Says ‘Indians Stranded in Italy Due to Circular’.

She said, "According to the Public Health Act, people who are supporting or hiding anything that leads to spreading of the disease is a crime. Those who are not revealing their travel history of coming back from affected areas and countries will be considered a crime." Shailaja further informed that the Chief Minister announced that hiding travel history is a crime and proper action will be taken if the need arises.

Movie theatres will remain closed in Kerala from Wednesday till March 31 as an attempt to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease. The latest two confirmed cases are of the parents of the 3-year-old who had tested positive for the virus on Monday. The family had returned from Italy on March 7, and as the child showed some symptoms, officials took the family straight to the hospital from the airport.

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Asks PM Narendra Modi to Withdraw ‘Negative’ COVID-19 Certificate for Entering India

India imposed additional restrictions on passengers travelling from or having visited Italy or Republic of Korea and desirous of entering India, making it mandatory for them to submit a certificate of having tested negative for Coronavirus from designated laboratories authorised by health authorities of these countries. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan urged PM Narendra Modi to withdraw the mandatory certificate because several Indians are stranded in Airports in Italy as they are not able to board the flights without the certificates.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 11, 2020 07:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).