Pinarayi Vijayan, ministers to self-isolate after Collector tests positive

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday announced that he and seven of his cabinet colleagues have decided to go into self-isolation after Malappuram Collector K. Gopalakrishnan tested Covid positive.

However, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who had accompanied Vijayan to Kozhikode to visit the survivors of the Air India Express flight from Dubai, which skidded off the runway and fell into a gorge on Friday evening leaving 18 dead, and inspect the accident site, will not isolate himself.

Gopalakrishnan had been coordinating the rescue and relief operations at the accident site.

In a WhatsApp message, Vijayan said the others who will be going into isolation are Health Minister K.K. Shailaja, Local Administration Minister A.C. Moideen, Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunilkumar, Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel, Ports Minister Kadanapally Ramachandran and Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran.

Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta will also isolate himself.

Consequently, Vijayan will not unfurl the tricolour at the main Independence Day function here, with Devasom Minister Kadakampally Surendran stepping in for him, in the ceremony which will last only 10 minutes.