Kuravilangadu town here on Sunday witnessed high drama when a joint team of police and Health Department officials intercepted a KSRTC bus headed for Munnar and shifted two Spanish nationals on board to a hospital.
The drama began to unfold around 1 p.m. when the Spanish nationals, a woman and a man, reached the KSRTC bus station here. Though the KSRTC officials asked them to appear for a medical examination, they refused to cooperate and boarded a bus to the hill station.
By the time District Collector P.K. Sudheer Babu was apprised of the incident, the bus had left Kottayam. Soon, a direction was issued to trace down the duo and accordingly, a police team intercepted the bus and forced the tourists to get off the vehicle.
Though the tourists insisted on continuing the journey, the health officials eventually succeeded in convincing them about the necessity to serve the isolation period.
They were then shifted to the government hospital at Kuravilangadu for a primary examination.
Observation for 14 days
“The duo exhibited no symptoms of the virus infection though we have decided to keep them under observation for 14 days at the Pala General Hospital,” said Jacob Varghese, district medical officer
According to him, a situation report by the World Health Organisation mentioned Spain as one of the worst COVID-19 affected countries . “The Spaniards have reportedly reached Kerala about a week ago and visited different places before reaching Kottayam. They are being kept in quarantine considering the possibility of local transmission of the virus through them,” the DMO said.
Earlier in the day, the police had intercepted an Italian tourist who had reached the Kottayam bus station from Wagamon and sent him for an examination.
Several tourists
As per reports, several tourists, including foreigners, have been kept in isolation at the hotels and resorts across various destinations in Kottayam, including Kumarakom and Wagamon.
