Kerala: Schools, colleges to remain shut in Kozhikode till June 12 due to Nipah scare

“Now, the effort is to prevent a second wave of the infection and, therefore, extreme caution has to be exercised. A list of 1,950 persons, who had come in contact with confirmed NiV cases, has been prepared and they are being closely monitored,” the minister said.

However, all schools in remaining parts of the state re-opened on Friday. Schools and classrooms were decorated with colourful banners, ribbons and balloons as teachers welcomed children with paper crowns, sweets and flowers as part of the ‘Enrolment Festival’ held in various schools to welcome the children, a PTI report said. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was the chief guest at a school in nearby Nedumangad.

Read | What is Nipah Virus?

The Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), on the other hand, postponed all examinations till June 16. “Due to the outbreak of viral fever in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts, all OMR and online examinations till June 16 stands postponed. New exam dates will be announced later,” an official notification read. Over 6 lakh candidates have applied for the Kerala PSC exams.

Read | Kerala health minister calls meeting after another suspected Nipah death

Six suspected cases were admitted to the medical college on Friday. The World Health Organisation (WHO) released data which suggests that the virus has so far claimed the lives of 16 people and that at least 753 others were under observation after facing similar symptoms.

Meanwhile, Sadanandan said that the monoclonal antibodies from Australia had reached the state and was on its way to Kozhikode medical college from Kochi. It will be administered only if there were any fresh Nipah cases.

Experts from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) — the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research — is expected to arrive on Monday and the antibody will be administered only if it was necessary. With the help of ICMR and WHO, the state government had procured about 50 doses of a monoclonal antibodies from Australia to combat the virus, Sadanandan said.

The ICMR had written to the Queensland government in Australia asking it to provide the antibody developed there to test if it can neutralise the virus in humans.

(With PTI inputs)