Returning migrants give Kalaburagi admin the migraine

The district is witnessing a huge spike in COVID-19 positive cases only after infected migrant workers from Maharashtra returned home as the lockdown norms were eased.

“The infection is not spreading, but only cases are increasing. The district is receiving a high number of positive cases as most of the workers are coming back from Dharavi, Mumbai and Pune, the hotspots of coronavirus,” said Deputy Commissioner B Sharat.

The country’s first COVID-19 death was reported from the city on March 10. A 76-year-old man (P-6) who returned from Saudi Arabia on February 29 succumbed to the virus.

The daughter of the deceased (P-7), the doctor who initially treated the victim (P-9) and the doctor’s wife (P-99) contracted the virus from him. The first wave of infection ended as no positive cases from the primary and secondary contacts of the deceased were reported.

It began with those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Delhi’s Nizamuddin being tested positive for COVID-19.

Sharat said, “We received late the list of 26 people who took part in the religious congregation in Delhi. As most of the Tablighi returnees didn’t come forward voluntarily for getting themselves tested, the virus spread to their direct and indirect contacts. About 30 family members of a cloth merchant (P-205) who died of COVID-19 contracted the virus.”

“The administration successfully contained the virus spread from the Tablighi returnees and pegged the infections below 90. Random testing for COVID-19 was taken up in Mominpur area of the city. With God’s grace, all tests turned out to be negative,” he said.

Positive cases started zooming up with the return of migrant workers after the lockdown was relaxed.

As many as 39,073 migrant workers returned to the district till June 7. As per the new quarantine guidelines, a total of 35,974 people in quarantine were released after seven days’ institutional quarantine. They have been kept under strict home quarantine. Out of the total returnees, COVID test has been done only on about 16,000 people due to shortage of kits.

Absence of irrigation facilities and industries, consistent drought, poverty and illiteracy force the people of Kalyana Karnataka region to migrate to Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru in search of jobs.