US couple traced from Kochi airport, placed under isolation
Alappuzha: An American couple, who allegedly gave the slip to police after being admitted to the coronavirus isolation ward of the medical college hospital here following complaints of fever and cough, was traced to Kochi airport and placed under observation.
The two were traced late Friday night and admitted to the Kalamassery medical college hospital isolation ward, police sources said. They had visited the hospital here with fever and were sent to the isolation ward, but left the place shortly thereafter.
The tourists had come to Kochi from London via Doha on March 9, attended a Kathakali show in the port city, went for a houseboat ride the next day at Alapzuha, stayed at a Fort Kochi resort, before going to varkala near thiruvananthapuram and returned to Alapuzha, police said.
Meanwhile, efforts are on to track all those who may have come in contact with the Italian tourist, who tested positive for coronavirus on Friday.
Thiruvananthapuram district collector K Gopalakrishnan said it was a herculean task as the tourist had come to the state from Delhi on February 27 and was staying at a beach resort at Varkala.
The Thiruvananthapuram district administration is in the process of preparing the route map of the places the tourist had visited after he arrived in the state.
"There was a 15 day gap from the time he reached the state to being detected positive for virus.
Efforts are on to trace all those he had come in contact during this period. He had gone out to purchase food and other things", the collector told reporters.
He urged people to stay indoors and not to move around and take precautionary measurers. Those coming from abroad should be under home quarantine for 28 days.
Many are not following the restrictions while in quarantine, he said.
With three positive cases being reported from the state capital, the collector said all malls would be closed, while people should avoid mass gatherings and follow strict self isolation to ensure that the virus does not spread.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
