Another Bengaluru techie tests positive for coronavirus (Ld)

Bengaluru, March 16 (IANS) Karnataka on Monday recorded its eighth positive Covid-19 case, a techie who returned in the same flight as the fourth positive case, an official said on Monday.

"One male patient aged 32 years from Bengaluru has tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. He returned from the US via London on March 8 in the same flight as patient number four," Suresh Shastri, special officer in the information, education and communication (IEC) wing of the Health Department told IANS.

Shastri said the eighth case, who was on home quarantine, has now been admitted to an isolation facility. The Health Department has traced two primary contacts -- his wife and their house maid.

The eighth and the fourth case, a Mindtree employee, returned to Bengaluru in the same flight on March 8 from the Heathrow airport in London.

On Monday, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa took a slew of measures to contain the spread of the dreaded virus and held a video conference with all the Deputy Commissioners across the state.

Following the high-level meeting attending by senior officials and ministers, the Karnataka government has decided not to allow tourists in Mandya, Ballari, Mysuru, Vijayapura, Koppal and Kodagu districts.

Daily district level task force meetings will be conducted to take stock of the situation and cooperation from private medical colleges has been sought in places where there aren't any government facility.

The state government has instructed to set up help desks at bus stops, railway stations and check-posts along the state border.

All 'jathras' at temples have been prohibited and screenings have also begun at railway stations and bus stops.

According to the guidelines issued by the Central government, additional laboratories will be set up in Mangaluru and Kalaburgi districts.

Super markets have been allowed to open doors to facilitate the purchase of essential commodities.

Meanwhile, the 45-year-old daughter of the 76-year-old man from Kalaburgi who died of coronavirus man has tested positive. She has been admitted to the district hospital and her condition is stated to be stable.

The Health Department has traced 79 primary contacts of the 45-year-old woman for observation.

In Bengaluru, six positive Covid-19 patients are in isolated observation, including the eighth case which surfaced on Monday.

Currently, seven people are being monitored under isolation at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases and 11 more in other hospitals.

In the district hospitals, two people each are being monitored in Hassan, Udupi, Bidar and Uttar Kannada, seven in Dakshina Kannada, one each in Vijayapura, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu and nine in Kalaburgi.

In total, 44 people have been quarantined in different hospitals across the state.

"As many as 895 samples of symptomatic persons were collected for testing of which 695 have returned negative," said an official statement.

Nearly 1,830 people are going through home quarantine across the state while 2,221 people have enrolled for observation.

A total of 1.14 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 5,505 passengers were also checked for the virus at Karwar and Mangaluru seaports.

The South Western Railway (SWR) has set up medical help desks at KSR Bengaluru, Yeshwantpur and Cantonment railway stations.