Three Congress Parliament members and two state legislative assembly members from Kerala have been asked to go on a 14-day quarantine on suspicion that a person tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday had come in contact with them.
On Thursday, the Palakkad district medical board advised MPs V K Sreekandan, T N Prathapan and Remya Haridas and MLAs Shafi Parambil and Anil Akkara to undergo home quarantine.
The Congress leaders appeared to have come in contact with the COVID-confirmed person at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border at Walayar on May 9.
The leaders had travelled to Walayar after they heard about the difficulties of thousands of stranded Keralites from other states at the inter-state check post.
Kerala has been insisting that people from other states should obtain passes prior to travelling back home.
Entry was denied to people who came without passes and this resulted in huge rush at the check post.
The Congress leaders had staged a protest at the check post, urging the government to all stranded Keralites enter their home state.
Three days later, one of the stranded persons - a Malappuram resident - was tested positive for coronavirus.
A contact tracing by the health department established the presence of Congress leaders when the person fell unconscious near the check post.
Around 100 police persons, 50 media persons who were present at the check post on May 9 were also asked to go on quarantine.
