Coronavirus outbreak: Chinese tourist seeks police help for hotel room in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 06: A Chinese youth, who approached the city police in Kerala seeking help to get a hotel accomodation, was rushed to an isolation ward of a hospital for observation.

The 25-year-old tourist, who was on a trip to India, reached the state capital on Tuesday, police said.

When all efforts to get a hotel accomodation failed, he approached the city police commissioner's office with a complaint that he was unable to get a room.

As soon the police personnel heard that he had arrived from China, where the novel coronavirus outbreak toll has climbed to 563, they rushed him to the isolation ward, they said.

The man, hailing from Sichuan province, does not have any symptoms of the virus.

However, his samples have been sent for testing. He is said to have arrived in Delhi on January 23 and reached here by flight on Tuesday.

After reaching the state capital, though he went round searching for hotel accommodation, the youth was reportedly turned away as he was from China following which he sought police help to find him accommodation.

The special branch police immediately informed the health officials and district collector's office and on the directions of the district medical officer, he was shifted to the isolation ward at general hospital.

Until the results are available, he would continue to be in the isolation ward, police said adding the central government has also been informed.

Besides the Chinese youth, two other foreign nationals are among the 2,528 people under observation in the state for the novel coronavirus infection.