COVID-19: Another positive case in Karnataka

A 35-year-old Kodagu returnee from Saudi Arabia has emerged as the 15th coronavirus-positive case in Karnataka on Thursday, an official said.

Bengaluru, March 19 A 35-year-old Kodagu returnee from Saudi Arabia has emerged as the 15th coronavirus-positive case in Karnataka on Thursday, an official said.

"A 35-year-old male patient from Kodagu has tested positive for COVID-19 today. He returned from Dubai on March 15 to Kempegowda international Airport, Bangalore, and travelled to Kodagu by bus the same day," Suresh Shastri, special officer in the information, education and communication (IEC) wing of the Health Department told .

Shastri said the new case is being observed in isolation at a hospital in Kodagu and his contacts are being traced.

Meanwhile, the number of people being observed in isolation at hospitals across the state has risen to 97.

More than half of them are being monitored at Bengaluru's Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases and other hospitals in the city while the rest in district hospitals.

"As many as 1,143 samples of symptomatic persons were collected for testing, of which 915 have returned negative," said an official statement.

Nearly 2,280 people are going through home quarantine across the state, reduced by one, while 3,049 people have enrolled for observation.

A total of 1.22 lakh passengers have been thermal-screened for the virus in Karnataka till now at the Kempegowda International Airport in the city and the Mangaluru International Airport.

Another 5,695 passengers were also checked for the virus at Karwar and Mangaluru seaports.

Following the rising coronavirus cases in the state, the South Western Railway (SWR) has started thermal screening of all patients at seven railway stations.

"As a preventive measure in view of alertness for COVID-19, SWR has started screening the normal body temperature of passengers," said a spokesperson for the railway zone.

The seven railway stations include KSR Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Gadag, Belagavi, Bijapur and Vasco-da-gama.

"Paramedical staff posted at the help desks in the stations are doing thermal screening round the clock. Passengers are now subjected to thermal scanning before departure," said the spokesperson.

SWR has also set up a cleaning and disinfecting protocol in place for train coaches, taps, pantry and toilets at regular intervals.

( With inputs from IANS )