State calamity declared in Kerala over Coronavirus

New Delhi : With three positive detected cases of Coronavirus, the Kerala government has declared the lethal disease caused by the Novel Coronavirus as a "state calamity". The disease had originated from China's Wuhan city.

"The announcement is not meant to scare people. It is to help take proactive steps to intensify the steps to contain the spread of the virus," state Health Minister KK Shailaja said.

More than 350 people have died of the disease in China and over 10,000 have been diagnosed positive to it.

According to a report by NDTV, the government has taken around 140 samples till date, 46 of them are found negative and three of them are positive.

Some 80 people who at one point were in direct contact with the confirmed cases have been traced and are under the surveillance of the state health department.

The Coronavirus has been found detected with patients in nothing less than 20 countries, following which the World Health Organisation declared it a global health emergency.

"Third positive case of Novel Coronavirus patient, has been reported in Kerala. The patient has a travel history from Wuhan in China. The patient has tested positive for Novel Coronavirus and is in isolation in the hospital. The patient is stable and is being closely monitored," the Health Ministry said in a statement today.

"The patient is under treatment at the Kanjangad District Hospital in Kasaragod," Ms Shailaja said this morning. "There is nothing to panic. The health officials led by district medical officials are tracking surveillance efforts. Contract tracing for confirmed cases is underway," she added.