Maharashtra returnees add to COVID-19 rise in south districts

Maharashtra returnees contributed to a rise in fresh cases in three south Karnataka districts - Chikkaballapur, Mandya and Hassan. The three districts recorded a combined 56 new cases - more than 40% of the total infections reported in the state in the last 24 hours (ending 5 pm on Sunday).

Bagepalli taluk accounted for all 27 cases reported from Chikkaballapur. As many as 26 cases have a travel history to Maharashtra. On May 19, 109 migrant workers had returned to the taluk from Mumbai. They were quarantined at various centres. Among them, 26 have tested positive for COVID-19.

Also, a 24-year-old pregnant woman from ward 22 in Bagepalli has contracted the novel coronavirus. The woman has no travel history and investigations are underway to trace her source. The ward has been sealed after the woman tested positive.

As many as 99 Mumbai returnees have tested positive for the virus in the district in less than a week. The district’s COVID-19 tally has gone up to 126. Gauribidnur alone has accounted for 75 cases followed by Bagepalli at 37, Chikkaballapur at nine and Chintamani at five cases.

KR Pet taluk in Mandya continued to show a rise with 14 fresh cases. Pandavapur taluk reported one case.

Of the 15 cases recorded in Mandya district on Sunday, 11 are Mumbai returnees and four are contacts of Patient 869, a 22-year-old man from Maruvanahalli in KR Pet taluk with a travel history to Mumbai. Patent 869 has turned out to be a super spreader. As many as 10 people who came in contact with him have contracted COVID-19.

At 252 cases, Mandya district is 14 short of Bengaluru Urban, which has reported the highest number of cases. Mandya, however, has more active cases than Bengaluru with 226.

Hassan district reported 14 new cases on Sunday, all of them with interstate and inter-district travel history. A KSRP constable with travel history to Bengaluru is among those who tested positive.

As many as 24 new cases were reported in Yadgir district of Kalyana Karnataka region. All 24 are Maharashtra returnees and are natives of Arakera Tanda, Kurkunda, Kanyakolur and Allipur Tanda in the district.