K'taka traces 2,678 people in contact with positive cases

The Karnataka Health Department has traced a trail of 2,678 people who came in contact with the four positive coronavirus (COVID-19) people in the state, an official said on Tuesday.

"Four positive coronavirus cases identified in Bengaluru have left a trail of 2,678 people who came in contact with them," the department's Information, Education and Communication (IEC) special officer Suresh Shastri told IANS.

The four positive cases - a family of three and another man - have been quarantined.

A 46-year-old male with travel history to US via Dubai is the first positive coronavirus case in Karnataka, followed by a 47-year-old female, a contact of the first case and a 13-year-old girl, also a contact of the first case.

According to sources, the three are a family and the Health Department does not have the travel history of the woman and the girl.

Though the Health Department has traced 2,666 people who came in touch with the family, until now only two of the contacts of case one have displayed the virus symptoms, the woman and the girl.

The fourth positive case is a 50-year-old male with travel history to USA via London. The Health Department traced 12 people who came in touch with him but none of them have displayed coronavirus symptoms yet.

All the four positive coronavirus cases being monitored at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in the city are Indian citizens.

As of Tuesday, the number of persons admitted to the institute for selected isolated observation are six, followed by one each at hospitals in Hassan, Dakshina Kannada and Bagalkote.

"As of Monday, 446 samples of symptomatic persons have been sent for testing, of which 389 have returned negative," said a statement issued by the Health Department said.

As many as 760 people are going through home quarantine across the state while 1,048 people have enrolled for observation.

Across the state, 95,151 passengers have been thermal-screened for the virus till now at the Kempegowda International Airport in the city and the Mangaluru International Airport.

Another 5,368 passengers were also checked for the virus at Karwar and Mangaluru seaports.

Aimed at reinforcing coronavirus prevention measures, the state government added three more Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laboratories to receive and test coronavirus samples.

A medical college each in Mysuru, Hassan and Shivamogga are also testing the samples.

The state government also sent a bulk text message to all ASHA workers to create awareness about coronavirus among the masses and communities.

Karnataka government also asked the IT and biotechnology companies to give a list of employees who travelled to COVID-19 affected countries after February 21. IANS