2 more test positive for Covid-19

Two more persons were tested positive for coronavirus in Dakshina Kannada district on Friday, thus taking the tally to 24.

While Patient (P) Number 578, the 69-year-old Bantwal patient, is a secondary contact of P390, the district’s first Covid19 victim and the 62-year-old patient from Boloor (P579) is the husband of P536, who was tested positive on April 30.

With this, the district has nine active cases. Of the 24 cases reported in the district, one each is from Udupi and Bhatkal and four were from Kasargod. Out of the active cases from the district, the husband and wife from Uppinangady are likely to be discharged either this weekend or early next week. DC Sindhu B Rupesh said that Boloor and Kasba in Bantwal have already been sealed after the cases were reported.

A total of 39,909 people have been screened in the district for coronavirus so far. Fifty-nine people have been quarantined at NITK, Surathkal, while 40 are under quarantine at ESI Hospital in Mangaluru. A total of 6,073 people have completed 28 days of home quarantine. As many as 351 samples have been sent for testing on Friday and the results of 662 samples are awaited. Twenty-four people were screened in the recently launched mobile clinic and 14 Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases have been reported in the district, the DC explained.

Last rites held

The last rites of P409, a 67-year-old woman who succumbed to coronavirus on Thursday night, were held at Boloor crematorium.

Though Boloor was declared as a containment zone after a woman was tested positive on Thursday, the officials conducted the last rites at the crematorium as decided in the recent meeting chaired by district in-charge Minister.

After the locals had opposed the last rites of a 75-year-old woman who died of Covid-19 recently, the district administration had decided to conduct the last rites of all the Covid-19 victims at Boloor crematorium.

'Create awareness'

District In-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary has appealed to people to cooperate for the success of the lockdown. The public should impose self-curfew to prevent the spread of coronavirus, he said.

Speaking during a video conference with selected gram panchayat presidents and PDOs at Zilla panchayat hall in the city, he urged them to take measures to check the outbreak of Malaria and dengue.

He said there are complaints on a few shopkeepers overcharging for grocery items. The officials from panchayat should verify the prices of commodities in the shops regularly, he said.