Thiruvananthapuram: Three more persons were tested positive for coronavirus in Kerala on Friday, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients to 22. This number included the three persons who were cured of the disease.

The three positive cases on Friday were: a Keralite who returned from Dubai on Thursday after visiting many countries, including Italy (his sample had tested positive in the first instance. It was reconfirmed at the National Institute of Virology in Alappuzha on Friday); a tourist from Italy who was under observation at a private resort at Papanasam in Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram; and a Keralite who returned from United Kingdom.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who briefed the media on Friday, said 5,468 people are under observation across the state (5,191 at home and 277 hospitals).

He said 1,715 samples were sent for testing on Friday of which 1,132 returned negative. "We are awaiting the remaining results," he said.

Pinarayi said the health department officials will locate tourists from COVID-19-infected countries only to ensure that they do not carry the virus. Suspected tourists will be quarantined at the place of their stay.

He said Railways has agreed to check train passengers coming from other states. “The Kerala Police will help Railway officials in this process," he said.

The state government has also called an all-party meeting on March 16 to discuss the COVID-19 situation.

This was a meeting which was already scheduled to discuss the matters related to census.

Police have registered 14 cases against some people on charges of spreading fake news on coronavirus.

Meanwhile, two foreign nationals allegedly fled from the Alappuzha Medical college after being admitted to the isolation ward.

Police said they refused to give their samples and details of their passport.

Kerala Assembly shuts down

The 19th Assembly session of the LDF government, the prolonged Budget session that was scheduled till April 8, has been guillotined on Friday in the wake of COVID-19. Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan rushed through the proceedings and passed the full Budget on Friday itself. The full Budget was scheduled to be passed on March 30, a day before the start of the 2020-21 fiscal, after discussions related to the performance of all government departments were completed.