Five of family from Thanisandra apartment contract Covid-19

Adding to the growing number of people contracting Covid-19, five members of a family in the city tested positive for the disease on Monday.

The cases were reported from an apartment on Rajanahalli Main Road in Thanisandra, North Bengaluru. All those who tested positive had gone to Tirupati and returned a week ago. One of them was tested after she showed symptoms of cough and cold, which led to the discovery of other patients.

Officials have now quarantined 54 primary and 150 secondary contacts of the patients. All of them have been tested and the results are being awaited, the BBMP said.

Bengaluru has seen a spate of outbreaks over the past few weeks, starting with a nursing home in Byrasandra, an apartment in Bellandur, colleges in Attur and Yelahanka. These were followed by apartments in Yelahanka and Bommanahalli. More recently, seven students of a school in KR Puram tested positive for the disease.

Woman marshals

The BBMP has deployed women marshals to impose a penalty on members of the public who do not wear a mask or fail to follow other Covid-19 guidelines.

Until now, only men were appointed marshals. However, following recent incidents where women started arguing over paying penalty, the BBMP decided to deploy women, an official said.

Meanwhile, the BBMP marshals are making surprise visits to marriage halls and places of other gatherings to ensure people follow the Covid guidelines. However, the marshals are giving preference to spread awareness on the importance of wearing masks.