Union mantri self-quarantines

Minister of state for external affairs V. Muralee-dharan has self-quarantined himself as a preventive step against Covid-19.

Though the minister did not have any symptoms, he decided to quarantine himself as he had attended a meeting at Sree

Chitra Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology in Thiruvananthapuram where a doctor had tested positive. As many as 75 staffers including 25 doctors are under surveillance in the institute.

The institute authorities said Union minister had paid a courtesy visit to the director’s office on March 14 forenoon and it was a

The minister had attended a meeting at Sree Chitra Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology where a doctor had tested positive.

holiday. Only two officials from the Institute and two from the technology wing in Poojapura met him and none of them had any contact with the affected doctor for months.

The director’s office is in a separate building away from the Hospital. The Union minister did not visit the hospital. The affected doctor was on home quarantine during this time and had not tested positive in his first screening test. The deputy director’s quarantine period had ended during the Minister’s visit. The revised quarantine period of 28 days order was issued on March 16 evening and following this he will remain home quarantine for the stipulated additional period.

The Director has had no contact with the affected doctor in the last one year and has not held any meeting in which the affected person attended.