Nipah Virus: Educational Institutions Shut, Containment Zones In Kerala’s Kozhikode As Case Contacts Increase
In Kerala, containment zones have been declared in places where the nipah virus infection has been detected. With the outbreak of the virus being confirmed, educational institutions including anganwadis and madrasahs in Kozhikode district have been ordered to be shut for the next two days.
In the containment zones, the educational institutions have been shut till further notice, according to the district administration.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said in a facebook post that nipah virus infection has been confirmed in Kozhikode and that out of the samples sent for testing, two has turned positive. Education Minister, V Sivankutty has declared holiday for schools in the wake of nipah alert, reported the Timesnownews.
The government of Kerala has imposed social distancing and has banned public gathering, and social gathering would now need prior permission from the authorities.The contact list of the people is increasing with the number reaching almost 800. Health workers also figures in the list. The list is expected to rise, with the route maps of the deceased and the new cases being traced, said the Indian Express.
Of now, in the Kozhikode district, 9 panchayats have been declared as containment zones. Only essential services would be allowed to be kept open between 7-5. The villages under containment zones are Ayanchery, Maruthonkara, Tiruvallur, Kuttyadi, Kayakodi, Villyapalli and Kavilumpara.The state government, at the Assembly said that, the National Institute of Virology, Pune would be setting up a mobile lab at Kozhikode Medical College for testing nipah and for also for carrying other survey on bat.
The Kozhikode district collector said in a late night notice that the educational institutions may organise online classes while the university exam schedule will remain unchanged.
In an earlier circular, the collector ordered to halt all public programmes scheduled to be held in the district for the next 10 days.
