Dakshina Kannada reports 2,537 Covid cases in 12 days

Dakshina Kannada district has reported a total of 2,537 Covid-19 cases in the last 12 days. From 187 active cases on January 1, the active cases in the district have risen to 2,253 on January 12.

The positivity rate has increased from 0.61% to 5.04%. The district has witnessed five deaths since January 1 and the total number of deaths reported in the district is 1,706.

“A majority of the infected in the district have mild to moderate symptoms ranging from running nose to mild fever. About 90% of the infected are in home isolation and do not require hospitalisation. The task force has been directed to strictly adhere to the home isolation guidelines now. It is only those infected with comorbidities who are undergoing treatment in hospitals and Covid Care Centres,” said Dakshina Kannada Covid-19 Nodal officer Dr Ashok to DH.

“Students who were tested positive had the symptoms of mild cough, running nose, and body aches. The district has reported seven Omicron variant cases so far and all have recovered. None of the Omicron cases had any severe symptoms,” he said.

The district has 9,376 beds reserved for the treatment of Covid-19 infected. This includes 5,967 in private hospitals, 280 in District Wenlock Hospital, 250 in taluk hospitals and district community health centres.

As of January 8, only 110 beds were occupied for treating Covid-19 infected.

On January 10, as many as 15 labourers who had travel history from West Bengal were tested positive for Covid-19 in Kulai and Kuloor.

On January 11, eight labourers at a construction site in Kaprigudde were tested positive.

Labourers who have been tested positive for Covid-19 have been shifted to Covid Care Centres, to ensure that they do not move around and spread the infection.

On January 11, ten students in a medical college hostel were tested positive.

On Wednesday, six students of an engineering college hostel in Mangaluru taluk and seven inmates of metric hostel at Tenkapadav have been tested positive for Covid-19.

Fewer active cases in Kasargod

Dakshina Kannada district’s active cases had reduced to less than 100 in the third week of November last year when there were nearly 800 active cases in Kasargod.

With the surge in Covid-19 cases in Dakshina Kannada, the active cases in neighbouring Kasargod are less when compared to DK.

As of January 12, Kasargod district had 1,003 active cases. As many as 5,636 people who were the primary and secondary contacts of the infected are under observation in the Kasargod district. On January 1, Kasargod had 383 active cases, while DK had 187 active cases.

The Dakshina Kannada district administration has increased its surveillance measures throughout the district, especially on the Kerala-Karnataka border, to reduce the number of daily cases.

“We have been witnessing a spike in cases across the district, not only among students from Kerala. We have directed educational institutions in the district to follow the guidelines strictly. An average of 11,000 tests are conducted daily,” said officials from the health department.