COVID-19 cases in Karnataka climb to 76

Bengaluru: Twelve new positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of the affected in the state to 76, the Health department said on Saturday.

“Till date 76 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state which includes 3 deaths and 5 discharges,” state health department said in a bulletin.

It said, 68 positive patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable.

Out of 76 cases detected and confirmed in the state so far six cases are transit passengers of Kerala who have landed in airports and being treated in Karnataka.

According to the department, out of 12 new cases detected since last evening to this afternoon, eleven are contacts of patients who have already tested positive and undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

Among the newly infected three women from Uttara Kannada.

They are wife (age 54) and daughters (age 28 and 23) of a patient who has been tested positive and is currently undergoing treatment.

Five contacts of a patient already tested positive, have also been confirmed for the infection in Chikkaballapura.

Among them four are men of age 23, 70, 38 and 18 years and one woman of 32 years.

While two of them are residents of Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh, the rest are from Gowribidnurof Chikkaballapuradistrict.

A 21-year old man, who is a resident of Bengaluru with a history of travel to London and son of a patient who is undergoing treatment; and a 63-year old woman, also a resident of Bengaluru, with a history of travel to London, have tested positive.

Also, a 20-year-old man, who is a resident of Davangere, and cousin of a patient currently undergoing treatment; and a 24-year old man, resident of Uttara Kannada, and contact of a patient tested positive and under treatment have been confirmed with COVID-19 infection.

Contact tracing has been initiated for all the cases, the department said.

Among the 76 positive cases, 41 has been reported from Bengaluru, eight from Chikkaballapura, seven from Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada, three each from Kalaburgai, Mysuru and Davangere, and one each from Kodagu, Dharwad, Udupi and Tumakuru.

All the five discharged patients are from Bengaluru; while one death each was reported in Kalaburgari, Bengaluru and Tumakuru.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has convened an all-party meeting on Sunday to discuss measures that need to be taken in coming days to control the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Karnataka Director General of Police Praveen Sood has asked philanthropists who want to support the poor during the lockdown to leave food at the nearby police station, who will ensure that it reaches the needy.

Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner (Bengaluru) has been appointed as a nodal officer for this purpose.

Also the State-sponsored, subsidised Indira Canteens would provide food packets free of cost to the poor and needy in the wake of the lockdown.

The canteens would operate in three schedules -from 7:30 AM to 10 AM, 12:30 PM to 3 PM and 7:30 PM to 9 PM, the government said in a public announcement During the scheduled hours, roadside vendors, labourers and poor would be provided food free of cost.

Speaking to reporters, Additional Chief Secretary Health and Family Welfare department Jawaid Akhtar, said the government was in the process of finalising the order for one lakh rapid testing kits for COVID-19 testing, which will give results quickly.

“We are also looking at aspects relating to accuracy, before finalising the order,” he said in response to a question.