7 new COVID-19 cases reported in Karnataka, takes total to 83

Coronavirus

A government bulletin stated that there are currently 75 COVID-19 positive patients in isolation at designated hospitals, who are stable.

TNM Staff

Representative image/PTI

Seven new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Karnataka taking the total number of infections to 83, the state Health Department said in a bulletin on Sunday evening. The number includes three deaths and five patients who were discharged after treatment earlier. Currently, there are 75 COVID-19 positive patients in isolation at designated hospitals who are stable, it said in the update. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday held an all-party meeting and apprised the leaders about measures taken by the government to contain the coronavirus in the state. At the meeting, Yediyurappa said there was no shortage of testing kits, medicines and face-masks. "If there is a need, we will import more (testing kits) from various places. We will distribute testing kits to all the district and taluk hospitals," he said. The Chief Minister also said that the government has decided to provide life cover to police and civil workers engaged in halting the spread of the virus. The government apprised the opposition leaders that it has taken extra precautions to maintain supply of foodgrains through the Public Distribution System. City civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Sunday started 31 fever clinics with all the necessary equipment and adequate number of doctors and paramedics. It said these clinics, where fever test camps would be held, would work on all weekdays, including government holidays, from 9 am to 4.30 pm. The Palike also said that 17 hotels have been identified in the city to quarantine the suspected COVID-19 cases, adding that it has set up a war room to deal with the situation. Meanwhile, leaders of Janata Dal (Secular), headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, requested the government to deploy defence personnel along with vehicles to evacuate stranded persons from the cities to their villages. B M Farookh, a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, said people returning to their villages from cities along the highways would end up in human suffering and disaster, which would be much more dangerous than the impact of coronavirus. He said people from lower strata of society have started walking long distances to their villages as public transportation stands suspended. Most of them do not have much resources to support themselves and may end up collapsing on the way back without food or drinking water, he said in a letter to the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Finance Minister. This situation could be averted by deploying defence personnel with vehicles to reach them safely to their destinations and since the defence is well equipped with the logistics and trained personnel in war-like situation, safety could be ensured for them as well as to the commuters, Farookh added. Meanwhile, the BBMP Special Commissioner Dr Ravikumar Surpur, issued a circular about the handling of suspected cases of coronavirus. The circular stated that the primary contacts of COVID-19 positive cases who are asymptomatic and not suffering from one or many of co-morbid conditions like old age (more than 60 yrs of age), diabetes, hypertension, HIV, organ-transplant patient or suffering from any other medical condition which brings down the immunity, and those who are still within the quarantine period shall be immediately moved to a hotels, hostels, or any other similar accommodation. Such cases are considered as low risk, as they are expected to recover fully if they have indeed contracted the virus. Read: Bengaluru civic body identifies 17 hotels as COVID-19 quarantine centres They shall be kept in individual rooms or in a big hall /dormitory where spacing of 6 feet with necessary temporary partition is maintained between two adjacent beds. The quarantine centre for such low risk contacts should be not less than 50 beds and should be provided with 24x7 doctor, paramedic, necessary medicines, and equipment (including personal protective equipment). They shall be transported to their respective quarantine centres in an ambulance or vehicle exclusively kept for them. These vehicles should not be mixed with vehicles for COVID-19 positive cases. However, the protocol of disinfecting the vehicles shall be followed, the bulletin added. (With inputs from PTI)

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2 Karnataka men kill themselves over suspicions of contracting coronavirus

Coronavirus

While the tests results of the Udupi man came negative, the Hassan man’s samples are still under process.

TNM Staff

PTI/Representative image

Two Karnataka men took their own lives on Sunday fearing that they had contracted the coronavirus. An Udupi man in coastal Karnataka killed himself as he feared that he had contracted COVID-19, but his blood test turned out to be negative, an official said on Sunday. "He tested negative for coronavirus, the report has confirmed," Udupi District Health Officer Sudhir Chandra Sooda told IANS. Gopalakrishna Madivala, around 50 years of age, who worked with the state road transport corporation, took his own life amidst fears that he had somehow contracted the virus. "He wrote a death note saying that he is suffering from coronavirus and thus killed himself," said Sudhir Chandra. In the wee hours of Wednesday, when everybody was asleep in his house, Gopalakrishna took his own life in the courtyard. However, Sudhir Chandra said, “The KMC Manipal hospital's forensic department confirmed his coronavirus status as negative." According to the DHO (District Health Officer), the deceased man had mental health issues. "I came to know that he had some mental health problem. I also made enquiries with his relatives who live with him, and they said he did not have any coronavirus symptoms," added Sudhir Chandra. Meanwhile, a 46 year old man in Hassan had reportedly killed himself over fears that he had coronavirus. The Hindu quoted the DHO as saying that the man did not show symptoms of coronavirus, but had asthma and other health problems. The man was found dead at his residence in a village near Shravanabelagola in Hassan district. He was working with the State Road Transport Corporation, and was working while stationed in Mumbai. He had returned to his hometown for Ugadi last week, and  was asked to self quarantine as he had returned from a place considered high risk for coronavirus. His test for COVID-19 is awaited. (With IANS inputs)

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No community transmission yet, say Karnataka Health Dept officials on COVID-19

Coronavirus

Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Deputy CM Govind Karjol had said that the disease has reached the third stage of community transmission.

Soumya Chatterjee

Image for representation. PTI

Even though the Deputy Chief Minister on Saturday said that the coronavirus infection spread has reached Stage-III (community transmission stage), Karnataka Health department officials say the state is still in stage two. Officials said only by the end of next week, subsequent assessment will tell if the situation has worsened. “Today, the coronavirus epidemic has entered the third phase. By and large people are cooperating," PTI quoted Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol as saying on Saturday, in Bagalkote district of north Karnataka. A release by the National Health Mission said that doctors in Karnataka are confident that the state can avoid the potential community transmission stage with the right combination of medical and socio-economic norms, along with responsible public behaviour. Dr Prakash Kumar, State Joint Director, Communicable Diseases, said, “While effective measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 have been put in place in the state, the coming week is very crucial for us. If there is a spike in the number of new cases, then we will have to scale up our efforts even further to combat the virus.” “We are not yet in the community stage, where there will be large scale spreading of the disease and in order to avoid that, it is very critical that the public respect the lockdown ordered by the Government and do not step out of their houses, unless it is absolutely necessary. Even if they do come out for essential items, the public have to maintain social distancing. Those people who have been put under home quarantine should strictly observe the instructions that have been given to them by the Health Department and behave in a responsible manner, so as not to allow the disease to be passed on to others,” he added. Meanwhile, the number of patients testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) has reached 83, according to the Karnataka government bulletin released on Sunday. This includes two new patients from Udupi district and five patients from Mysuru district. The developments regarding the Mysuru patients were confirmed by the district authority, post the release of the bulletin on Saturday. The bulletin said that among the two Udupi men, a 35-year-old has a travel history to Dubai and had reached his native place on March 17. The other man, a 29-year-old, has no known foreign travel history but had visited Thiruvananthapuram. He is incidentally the third person in the state to test positive for COVID-19 without having relevant foreign travel history. As reported earlier, all the five cases in Mysuru are contacts and co-workers of the quality assurance department worker who had tested positive earlier. While that person did not have any history of foreign travel or contact with a COVID-19 positive person, health officials said he was in touch with health personnel working to combat the pandemic. However, department officials maintain that there has been no community transmission.

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