A day after the Kerala government declared the novel coronavirus epidemic as a ‘state calamity’ with a third student testing positive, tourism minister of the state Kadakampally Surendran says the epidemic has started affecting the tourism industry. After the Nipah virus and deadly floods, the coronavirus outbreak has also badly impacted the holiday industry as hotel bookings across the state are widely seen cancelled during the February-March months.

 As said by the health minister of Kerala, a total of 2,239 people, who travelled from the novel coronavirus affected countries, including China, are under home quarantine  and 84 people have been admitted in the hospitals.

The announcement for ‘state calamity’  came  after decision was taken at a meeting held on Monday last of the apex committee of the State Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Chief Secretary of the state.

As per report,there are three students, including a woman medico, from the state who studied in Wuhan university in China had tested positive for the virus in Thrissur, Alappuzha and Kasaragod districts in last couple of days.

In the meantime, Hong Kong (a Special Administered Region under the People’s Republic of China but outside the mainland)  confirmed its first death from the virus on Tuesday. Mainland China tops in the number of confirmed infections at 20,438 out of the global total 20,626. While the death toll worldwide has reached 427, an approximate 653 patients have recovered from the infection, as per the available figures.