THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the number of COVID-19 cases increasing in Kerala, the health department has decided to conduct COVID tests among inmates of all old age homes in the state. Around 21,000 inmates from 619 old age homes in the state will be soon subjected to COVID test. Health Minister KK Shailaja said that the department has started taking necessary measures under the Grant Care programme in all old age homes.

The tests will be conducted by the health department along with the NHM and Social Justice department. An action plan regarding this has been prepared, the minister said. Those institutions with a higher number of COVID positive cases will be turned into CFLTCs. If the institution reports only one or two cases, then the infected persons will be shifted to the nearby CFLTC.