Nipah: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan holds high-level meet, review preventive measures

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram and reviewed the steps taken by the state government to contain the outbreak of Nipah virus, which has claimed 11 lives so far.

Directions have been given to maintain vigil and to strengthen the state's monitoring mechanism and precautionary measures, a government release states. A panel headed by the chief secretary will monitor the situation continuously, it adds.

Ribavirin tablets, an anti-viral medicine are being distributed and officials have been asked to send the medicines to all affected areas, the release states.

State Health Minister K K Shylaja, Chief Secretary Paul Antony, the chief Minister's private secretary M V Jayarajan and Chief Principal Secretary to the CM, Nalini Netto were present at the meeting.

An all-party meeting on the issue has also been called at the Kozhikode collectorate on Friday tomorrow in which representatives of political parties, MPs and MLAs will participate. Health minister Shylaja, Labour Minister T P Ramakrishnan and Transport minister A K Saseendran, will attend the meeting. A meeting of heads of local bodies will also be held in the evening.

A central team of experts rushed to access the situation in the state and provide assistance immediately after the outbreak of the virus. The team and health ministers of other states have expressed satisfaction with the steps taken by the LDF government so far, the statement added.