Questions are being raised over the protocol for international passengers after it emerged that three patients, carrying the South African (SA) variant of the virus travelled from Bengaluru to their hometowns, allowing wider social contact all the way.
While one patient travelled in a KSRTC bus from Bengaluru to Shivamogga on February 21, leaving a trail of primary contacts who are yet to be traced, on Friday, officials said a brother-sister duo who returned from Dubai to Bengaluru on February 17 and went to Ballari by train from Bengaluru, were both found to have the SA variant of the coronavirus.
Now, there are three SA variant cases in the state, all Dubai returnees.
They were admitted to a trauma centre in Ballari and then put in home quarantine. The district officials said their parents have tested negative and are the only primary contacts known so far.
Ballari Deputy Commissioner Pavan Kumar Malapati told DH the siblings had tested negative at the airport were positive in Ballari.
Dr H L Janardhan, District Health Officer, Ballari, told DH, “They are engineering students who were home quarantined. They had tested negative in Bengaluru. After coming here, one of the siblings developed some symptoms and a repeat test showed a positive result for both of them. They came by train.”
“We will be tracing their contacts. They will be in home isolation for the next 14 days. If no new positives come up in their area, we can discharge them,” he added.
(Published 12 March 2021, 17:32 IST)
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