COVID-19: Karnataka positive cases rise to 14

A 35-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total cases in Karnataka to 14, an official said on Wednesday.

Bengaluru, March 18 A 35-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total cases in Karnataka to 14, an official said on Wednesday.

"Till date, 14 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Karnataka including one death," Suresh Shastri, special officer in the information, education and communication (IEC) wing of the Health Department told .

The 35-year-old man, Karnataka's 14th positive case, returned to Bengaluru from the US on March 10 and slipped into home quarantine, however, he started developing symptoms on Monday and has been confirmed positive on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, a 25-year-old Bengaluru man tested positive upon returning from Spain on March 13, currently he is admitted in a hospital and is under isolation.

The Health Department has identified seven primary contacts of the 12th positive case who are under home quarantine.

Similarly, a 56-year-old woman also tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday. She returned from USA on March 6 and is under isolated observation but stable.

The Health Department has traced 50 primary contacts of the woman and put them on home quarantine.

On Wednesday, three new people tested positive for coronavirus and the Health Department is on the hunt for all of their secondary contacts.

Currently, 10 people are being monitored under isolation at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases and 39 more in other hospitals in Bengaluru.

In the district hospitals, one each in Chikmagalur, Udupi, Bidar and Gadag, two in Ballari, four each in Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada, five in Uttara Kannada and 12 in Kalaburgi are admitted.

Across the state, 80 people are under observation in hospitals.

"As many as 1,068 samples of symptomatic persons were collected for testing of which 869 have returned negative," said an official statement.

Nearly 2,281 people are going through home quarantine across the state while 2,935 people have enrolled for observation.

A total of 1.19 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 5,662 passengers were also checked for the virus at Karwar and Mangaluru seaports.

Meanwhile, The Karnataka State Board of Auqaf has called on all the Muslims in the state to shorten their prayers in the wake of spreading Coronavirus.

"The Jamath Salah (Prayer) shall be offered in minimum time and disbursed at the earliest. Duration of salah (prayer) to be minimized. Friday sermons to be shortened like in Middle East countries," said the Auqaf Chairman Mohamed Yousuff in a statement.

Yousuff said Friday prayers should be shortened like in Middle East. Bayan/Khutba sermon for 10 minutes and salah for 10 minutes and the entire process to be finished in 20 minutes.

He also called for Ijtema and traditional urus to be celebrated with minimum attendance and recommended the madrasas and makatibs to be closed on par with the state government directives to schools and colleges.

"The persons suffering from respiratory or immunity related issues are requested to void coming into public places and in particular to masjid, madrasa, makatid and dargahs.

In a related development, the South Western Railway zone (SWR) has cancelled five trains on Wednesday due to lack of patronage fearing Coronavirus.

"Trains are cancelled temporarily in view of poor patronage due to outbreak of COVID-19," said a SWR statement.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has appealed that only sick and medical emergencies should visit hospitals in the state.

"It is hereby informed that only sick and patients requiring emergency care may visit the hospitals for treatment at medical college hospitals, super specialty hospitals and autonomous institutions," additional chief secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department Jawaid Akhtar said.

All other patients with mild illnesses, requiring outpatient care, follow-ups, and dental examinations have been asked to not visit hospitals for the next fortnight to prevent rising coronavirus.

Akhtar said private hospitals should also take similar steps.

State Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey on Wednesday highlighted that some people under home quarantine are not following the procedures properly.

He said the health department will stamp such people.

"It has been decided to stamp the back of palm of left hand of such passengers with a specially designed stamp which will indicate the last day of quarantine," Pandey said in a statement.

The rectangular stamp will read: Proud to protect Karnataka, home quarantined till. With another stamp indicating the date in dd/mm/yy format.

( With inputs from IANS )