Another person tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the pandemic, in Bengaluru. This takes Karnataka’s total number of cases to 14, while Bengaluru has recorded its 11th COVID-19 case.
The 35-year-old man arrived in Bengaluru from the US on March 10. According to health officials, he was quarantined at home. However, when he showed symptoms on March 16, he was admitted in hospital the same day and placed in isolation. “We are tracing his contacts,” said Minister of Medical Education Sudhakar.
Besides him, two other persons tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday. One patient is a 25-year-old man, a resident of Bengaluru, who returned from Madrid in Spain on March 13. He has been admitted to a designated isolation hospital while seven of his primary contacts have been traced and are under strict home quarantine, reads a bulletin from the health department.
Another patient is a 56-year-old woman, who returned from US to Bengaluru on March 6. Her test samples also returned positive on Monday and she has been admitted to an isolation ward in hospital. The health department said 50 primary contacts have been identified and are under strict home quarantine.
The Karnataka government said 1068 persons have been tested in the state so far, with 150 COVID-19 tests being done on Wednesday alone.
So far, those tested positive in Bengaluru include the techie from Dell, his wife and daughter, two other techies from MindTree and Google respectively, a co-passenger of the MindTree techie in the British Airways flight from London to Bengaluru, a 67-year-old woman who returned from Dubai, a 20-year-old student who returned from the United Kingdom, a 56-year-old man who returned from Dubai and a 25-year-old woman. A 76-year-old man from Kalaburagi died on March 10 and was later tested positive for coronavirus on March 12. His daughter and a doctor who treated him were subsequently tested positive.
The state government on Wednesday also extended the partial lock down of the state to March 31. Last week, the Chief Minister had announced that theatres, malls, gyms, night clubs, and political gatherings would be barred in view of the coronavirus outbreak.
The government will also quarantine all international passengers coming into Karnataka at hospitals, hotels and resorts. Minister Sudhakar said that these passengers would be taken to quarantine facilities close to the airport and lodged there for 15 days.