Kerala govt withdraws Nipah related restrictions in northern Kozhikode

The Kerala government has withdrawn containment in all zones and allied restrictions imposed in northern Kozhikode district as no new cases of Nipah virus have been reported here since September 16.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, District Collector A Geetha said all schools located in the areas that fell within containment zones would be opened and regular classes would commence on Wednesday.

However, the collector urged people to continue their vigil against the virus infection, maintain social distancing and ensure the use of masks and sanitizer.

All the institutions in the district had been closed since September 14, and online classes were being held after the virus outbreak was declared in the state on September 12.

The district administration advised students to wear masks and carry hand sanitizers when going to their respective educational institutions.

A total of six people were confirmed to have been infected by the virus till date, and of them, two died.

Of the two deaths, the first person who died on August 30 was found to be the index case, or patient zero, from whom others caught the infection.

As of September 24, the number of people under observation was 915, but none of them were in the high-risk category, health authorities said.

The number of samples tested till then was 377, and the number of negative results was 363, they added.