Three, including foreigner, test positive for coronavirus in

: Three more people, including an Italian national, tested positive for coronavirus in Kerala on Friday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

With the three fresh cases, the number of affected people in the state has touched 19, he told reporters here.

"An Italian tourist, who was staying at a resort in nearby Varkala, has tested positive and is kept in isolation there itself," Vijayan said.

Health minister K K Shailaja, who was also present, said the foreigner will be shifted to the medical college hospital later.

Vijayan also said yesterday's unconfirmed case in Thiruvananthapuram also tested positive.

"The third person is a UK-returnee and is in the isolation ward at the medical college hospital here," he said.

At least 5,468 people are under surveillance in the state, Vijayan said, adding that 277 have been lodged in isolation wards at various hospitals across the state.

The chief minister also said 1,715 samples have been sent for testing of which 1,132 turned out to be negative.

Kerala has been hit by the second round of coronavirus cases after the country's first three positive cases in the state were successfully cured and discharged from hospitals last month.