Kozhikode: The Health Department has made facial masks mandatory in Kozhikode in view of the Nipah Virus scare in the district. The decision was made at a review meeting held in the state capital on Thursday.

The Health Department will seek the help of Police to trace out the contacts of those infected with the virus. There are three confirmed cases of Nipah Virus in Kerala, all in Kozhikode district, where the index patient died on August 30.

The contacts of the patients, who are yet to figure in the official list, will be traced, said Health Minister Veena George.

2 mobile laboratories for Nipah tests
Minister George has confirmed that 11 samples that were sent for testing have turned negative. A total of 15 samples from the contact list, who were considered high-risk, had been sent for testing on Thursday.

Meanwhile, two mobile laboratory units for testing Nipah Virus have been set up in Kozhikode. A unit from the National Institute of Virology in Pune has been set up at the campus of the Government Medical College Hospital here/

Besides, a second mobile laboratory unit from the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology will soon reach Kozhikode, the authorities said. The unit with a BSL3 facility was flagged off by Minister George at Thiruvananthapuram on the day.

950 in contact list
The total number in the contact list of Nipah patients has reached 950, said minister Mohammed Riyas after the review meeting.

Among those, 213 are in the high-risk category. There re 287 healthcare workers in the contact list.

The minister said that in the event of a leap in number of Nipah cases, isolation wards will be ready to accommodate the patients.

The minister has urged the Kerala Medical Services Corporation (KMSCL) to ensure the availability of additional medicines and safety equipment.