K'taka registers 5th COVID-19 case after 26-year who returned from Greece tests positive

The fifth case of Coronavirus has been identified in Bengaluru after a 26-year-old who returned from Greece tested positive. Hailing from Mumbai, the person returned from Greece to Mumbai on March 6 and to Bengaluru on March 8. On March 9, he is said to have met with 4 of his colleagues in his Bengaluru office for over 4 hours. Although there were over 154 employees, he did not come in direct contact with the rest of them.

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Karnataka government's attempt to fight Coronavirus

The 4 colleagues, his brother who lives in Bengaluru as well as the auto-rickshaw driver with whom he rode around for over an hour, are all being tested and isolated. Meanwhile, IT companies in Bengaluru have been requested for a list of employees who travelled abroad since February 21. Their contact details are being gathered to screen all of them and if required, those whom they have been in contact with. “All primary contacts have been traced and are asymptomatic", read the statement by the department of health. 

A total of 1,220 persons have been identified for isolation, out of which 292 persons have completed 28 days of observation and 906 are on home quarantine. 18 of them have been kept in isolation wards across Bengaluru. All employees of Karnataka government have been instructed to not travel abroad, for professional and personal reasons until further notice. The State government is also considering converting an entire hospital with 300-400 beds facility to screen, test, isolate and treat Coronavirus patients.

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Reports for the samples of the 76-year-old who died in Kalburgi on Wednesday are still awaited said health officials even as precautionary measures have been taken by district authorities to trace his circle of contact. The Kerala government has announced two more positive cases of the virus in the State; one from Kannur and another from Thrissur, taking the tally of cases to 19 (including three who have been discharged). One patient had travelled to India from Dubai recently and the other from Qatar. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked for all those who are travelling back from other countries to be in isolation even if they do not show any symptoms initially on their return.

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