Belagavi dist reports big surge in infections, 14 contract virus

In a big single-day spike in Covid-19 cases in the district, 14 people, including three children, contracted virus on Thursday.

The spurt in cases has taken the district tally to 69. Among the 14 new cases, Hirebagewadi alone has accounted for 11 while three from Sankeshwar in Hukkeri taluk, including a nine-year-old boy and eight-year-old girl, contracted the Covid-19.

All Hirebagewadi cases reported on Thursday are secondary contacts of the infected persons. Three cases from Sankeshwar are contacts of Patient 293.

According to the district authorities, most of the Covid-19 cases reported from Belagavi district are either who attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin in Delhi or their primary and secondary contacts.

Davangere reported its fifth Covid-19 case, second in less than 24 hours, on Thursday.

According to Deputy Commissioner Mahantesh Bilagi, “A 69-year-old man, resident of Jaalinagar in the city, has tested positive for novel coronavirus on Wednesday. The elderly man with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) was admitted to the District Hospital on April 28. The man’s throat swab sample has returned positive today (April 30).”

On Wednesday, a staff nurse from a community healthcare centre had tested positive for virus. The 35-year-old woman was believed to have contracted virus from her son, whose report on swab sample is awaited.

The primary contacts of the elderly man and the nurse have been placed in isolation at the district hospital Efforts are underway to trace the secondary contacts of both the patients, the DC said.

The district administration has sealed Bashanagar and Jaalinagar in the city and incident commanders have been appointed to monitor the situation in the said areas.

There is no let up in Covid-19 situation in Vijayapura town. Two more, including a 33-year-old woman, tested positive for the virus as the total count of cases went up to 43 in the district with Vijayapura town accounting for lion’s share. With two deaths and 6 discharges, the district now has 35 active cases.

According to the health bulletin, apart from the woman, a 62-year-old man also tested positive for the illness. Both are the relatives and primary contacts of P-221.