KOCHI: The 19-member
tourist team
from UK, who stayed at KTDC’s Tea County resort in Munnar, reportedly waited till the
health officials
left the hotel so that they could vacate and leave for
Kochi airport
as pre-planned, said sources.
The district health officials had asked the tourist team to remain in quarantine though they had planned to leave for Dubai from Kochi airport on Sunday morning in an Emirates flight. They left the resort on Saturday night around 10:30 after the health officials left the place, said Idukki district administration sources.
As the authorities pass the buck following the controversy, Idukki district collector H Dineshan will submit a report to government on Monday.
Devikulam sub-collector S Premkrishnan said that the 19-member team reached Munnar on March 10. The 57-year-old UK man showed fever symptoms on the same day and reported at Munnar General Hospital. As the man showed
Covid-19
symptoms, health officials directed him and other members to be in quarantine. On March 11 night, the man was shifted to Kottayam Medial College and samples were collected for tests and he returned to the Munnar hotel on March 12.
“Then onwards the 19-member team was under quarantine in the resort. On March 13, the team visited Mattuppetty but returned immediately. On Saturday night, they wanted to check out from the hotel and hence paid the bills. They left the hotel at 10:30pm without informing the health officials,” said Premkrishnan.
The team left in a tempo-traveller arranged by a Thiruvananthapuram-based travel agency and reached Cochin international airport around 3. 30am. “The Tea County manager failed to inform health officials when the guests sought to vacate the hotel. Considering the seriousness of the situation the manger should not have allowed them to leave without prior permission from the health department,” said Dineshan.
The issue came to light only when the doctor called the Tea County manager to know the health status of the UK man around 8.30 am on Sunday. “The doctor alerted the officials and we informed Ernakulam district administration that blocked their travel. The 22 hotel officials, who had primary contact with them are under quarantine at hotel,” said Premkrishnan.
Meanwhile, a five-star hotel in the Kochi where the 19-member tourist team stayed during March 6 to 8, has asked 38 of its staff to be in home-quarantine. “We have found that 38 of our staff members came in direct contact with the UK tourists. We have informed the district health officials and their health checkup was completed,” said a hotel staff.
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