Record spike in COVID-19 cases in Dakshina Kannada

Dakshina Kannada witnessed a record increase on a single day in the number of fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, with 16 cases reported till noon. This is the highest number of cases reported since the first case was registered in the district on March 22 when a Dubai bound youth from Bhatkal tested positive.

Out of 179 passengers who landed at Mangalore International Airport (MIA) from Dubai on May 12, a total of 14 passengers from DK and one from Uttara Kannada had tested positive on Friday.

A 68-year-old woman (P 1009) hailing from Guddekopla in Surathkal, suffering from SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection), had tested positive for COVID-19, Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh told reporters in DC hall on Friday.

As many as 125 from DK and Uttara Kannada districts are under institutional quarantine in the district. As many as 49 are quarantined in Udupi and five in Uttara Kannada district. The throat swab of all 125 was collected and 15 tested positive. All 16 positive cases had been shifted to Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru for treatment. Efforts are on to collect details of primary contacts who had travelled with passengers infected with COVID-19.

Three members of a family including their six-year-old child had tested positive to COVID-19. After 12 days, the throat swabs will be collected for further tests.

The authorities had kept vigil on all the repatriates who are quarantined in 10 quarantine centres in the district. CCTVs are also fixed to the centre to ensure that they do not move around freely, said the DC.

The district administration had written to the state government seeking details of 1,200 patients who had sought treatment as out-patients and 177 people who had been treated as in-patients in First Neuro Hospital from February 1 onwards.

The government will be seeking information from the Kerala government, the DC added.

An expert team from Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences (RGUHS) will also be visiting the First Neuro centre.

The second flight with repatriates from Dubai will land at Mangaluru airport on May 18.

“We will make elaborate arrangement for those who are expected to arrive from Dubai,” said the DC.

Cases cross 50 mark

With this, the district had recorded 50 cases so far. A total of 16 COVID-19 survivors had been discharged from hospital after recovery. Five had died from Coronavirus and 29 are being treated at the District Wenlock hospital.

Guddekopla named containment zone

After a woman from Guddekopla in Idya village of Surathkal tested positive, the district administration has declared Guddekopla village as a containment zone.

MCC Executive Engineer-2 will be the incident commander of the containment zone to implement the sealdown guidelines effectively.

Details of Friday's fresh cases

The positive cases in the district are a 69-year-old woman (P 1001), a 6-year-old boy (P 1002), a 45-year-old man (P 1003), a 33-year-old woman (P 1004), a 27-year-old woman (P 1005), 81-year-old man (P 1006), a 27-year-old man (P 1007), a 76-year-old man (P 1008), a 68-year-old woman (P 1009), a 37-year-old man (P 1010), a 38-year-old man (P 1011), a 65-year-old man (P 1012), a 39-year-old man (P 1013), a 40-year-old man (P 1014), a 71-year-old man (P1015) and a 40-year-old man (P 1016).