Kochi, Mar 15 (Agencies): As many as 289 passengers of a Dubai-bound flight were offloaded at Kochi airport here on Sunday March 15 shortly before takeoff, after a passenger tested positive for novel coronavirus.

A UK national among the passengers tested positive for coronavirus, official sources said here.

The passenger belonged to a group of 19 holidaying in the hill resort town of Munnar in Kerala and was under surveillance, a Cochin International Airport Limited spokesman said.

He joined the group to reach the Kochi airport without informing authorities in Munnar, he said.

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When the test result came, the authorities came to know that he was at the Kochi airport and travelling by an Emirates flight. Firstly, it was decided to offload all 19 passengers of his group, he said.

"Now, it is decided to offload the remaining 270 pax also and send them to hospital for further investigation," the spokesman said.

The News Minute (TNM) reported that the passenger had already boarded the flight, but fortunately, health officials reached the airport just as the flight was about to take off.

All the passengers will now undergo medical checks and be quarantined if needed, the report said.

The UK national and his group who were under surveillance had been asked not to leave their hotel premises. However, the group left for Kochi airport without informing the authorities. The health officials then tracked them down at the airport. However, the fact that the group was allowed to leave the hotel points at a major lapse on the part of the hotel staff.

Devikulam sub-collector Prem Krishnan told TNM that health officials were at the hotel till 10.30 pm and the group left after that. The results came in only on Sunday and by then, the man had left the hotel, he said. Authorities say the group's travel agent came and took them along, insisting that they had to leave. Authorities said they will now probe how the group was allowed to leave the hotel, TNM reported.