Kerala Nipah Virus: All educational institutes in Kozhikode to remain shut till Sept 24

In the wake of the Nipah virus infection, all educational institutes in Kerala's Kozhikode will remain shut for a week until next Sunday, September 24. This includes schools, professional colleges, and tuition centres.

Meanwhile, online classes will be ensured throughout the week, the district administration said on Friday. Health minister Veena George has said that at present, the contact list of infected persons has 1,080 people while 130 people have been newly included today in the list. Out of all this 327 people in the list are health workers.

Veena George stated that there are 29 individuals in different districts who have been in contact with those infected by Nipah. Among these, 22 are from Malappuram, one from Wayanad, and three each from Kannur and Thrissur. Within the high-risk category, there are 175 individuals from the general population and 122 healthcare workers, according to the Health Minister. Additionally, the Health Minister indicated that the number of people on the contact list is expected to rise, as the test results for the individual who passed away on August 30 have confirmed a positive Nipah case, marking it as the initial case in the district.

As of now, six positive cases of Nipah Virus have been reported in the state. As many as 17 persons who had attended the cremation of the man who died on August 30 were put under isolation. While four of the active cases are undergoing treatment in hospitals.