16 coronavirus cases reported in Karnataka

(Eds: adding details, Chief Minister's quotes)

Bengaluru, Apr 4 () Sixteen fresh coronavirus caseshave been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number ofthose affected in the state to 144, the Health department saidon Saturday.

Till this evening, 144 COVID-19 positive cases have beenconfirmed in the state, which includes four deaths and 11discharges, the department said in a bulletin.

A 75-year old man, a resident of Bagalkote, who wasconfirmed positive on Friday and was undergoing treatment at adesignated hospital in the district, expired last night.

Education Minister Suresh Kumar, briefing reporters aboutthe bulletin, said the man initially consulted an ayurvedadoctor, then gone to a private hospital.

He later went to another hospital and was there for fourdays. However doctors there suspected his conditions to bethat of coronavirus and sent him to the designated hospital,where he was for one day before he died, the minister said.

The man had cardiac stent,high diabetes and hypertension,the Minister said and appealed to doctors and hospitals torefer patients to government hospitals as soon as they detectsymptoms.

Among 16 newly infected- two had attended Tablighi Jamaatcongregation from March 13 to 18 at Delhi, while seven arefrom Mysuru (four of whom had a travel history to Delhi inJanuary, much before the congregation).

Though the Minister did not give exact number of peoplefrom Karnataka who had attended the congregation, he said, asof date, reports of 214 of the 380 samples collected had beenreceived

"Out of the 214 reports, 198 are negative and 16 arepositive," he said.

The government has appealed to those who has attended theCongregation to contact 080-29711171 Arogya Sayavaani.

Among the 19 foreigners who had attended the Jamaat, 10are from Indonesia and nine from Kyrgyzstan, all of whomtested negative.

Out of total 129 active cases in the state, 126(includinga pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals andare stable and three in Intensive Care Units (one on oxygenand two on Ventilators).

Among the 144 cases, eight are transit passengers ofKerala who landed in airports in Karnataka and are beingtreated in the state.

Among these cases, 55 were reported from Bengaluru, 28from Mysuru, 12 from Dakshina Kannada, ten from Bidar, eightfrom Uttara Kannada, seven from Chikkaballapur, five fromKalaburgai and Ballari, three each from Davangere, Belagaviand Udupi, and one each from Kodagu, Tumakuru, Bagalkote,Dharwad and Bengaluru Rural.

Those discharged include nine patients from Bengaluru andtwo from Kalaburagi.

Among the deceased are one person each from Kalaburgari,Bengaluru, Bagalkote and Tumakuru.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa held a meetingwith Ministers, MLAs, Parliamentarians, the Mayor and DeputyMayor of Bengaluru, which has more than half the number ofCOVID-19 cases in the state.

He told reporters after the meeting that arrangementshave been made to supply foodgrains to non-ration cardholders, most of them from other states, during the lockdown.

The Chief Minister, who hoped that the lockdown will berelaxed in a phased manner after April 14, also issued astrict warning to private hospitals which are closed or nottreating patients during this time of health crisis.

In the wake of COVID-19 spread, Karaga, considered one ofthe city's oldest festivals and one that is usually celebratedwith much fanfare, would be a quiet affair this time with thegovernment permitting it to be observed only symbolically .

The Chief Minister also appealed to employers not to cutsalaries of their maids, servants and drivers who are unableto attend work due to the lockdown that has been enforced tocheck the spread of COVID-19.

He said this compassionate gesture of employers wouldsupport the poor and needy.

The Department of Health & Family Welfare has launchedJagruti Karnataka a Youtube channel to raise awareness amonghealth care workers, especially grassroot level workers atGram Panchayath level, about COVID-19 and ensure that correctprotocol is adhered in treatment, the bulletin said.

Videos are available in both Kannada and English.

As per the directions of the Union Health and FamilyWelafre Ministry, Karnataka has notified nine dedicatedhospitals as treatment facilities for COVID-19 patients.

The Home Quarantine Enforcement squad quarantined 20people in institutions on Friday, based on complaints from thepublic, the bulletin said, adding 361 persons have so far beenshifted from home Quarantine to institutional quarantine. KSU APRRAVINDRANATH APRRAVINDRANATH