Karnataka: Car festival cancelled first time in a century

TNN | Updated: Apr 4, 2020, 13:54 IST

Karnataka: Car festival cancelled in temple town first time in a century

Srikanteshwara Temple

MYSURU: For the first time in at least a hundred years, temple town Nanjangud will not host the famous car festival of Lord Sri Srikanteshwara on Saturday due to outbreak of Covid-19 cases even as authorities prepare to collect samples from primary contacts of positive cases there.
At least three positive cases’ primary contacts tested positive, including two family members of P52, the patient who contracted the virus on March 26. On Friday, there were no positive cases reported in Mysuru.
The famous Gouthama Rathotsava, which attracts over 1 lakh devotees, was cancelled while pujas and other rituals will be performed within the temple premises. The idol will not be taken out in the chariot, the first time in a century, according to Sri Srikanteshwara temple priests. DC Abhiram G Sankar on Friday said devotees are barred from attending the event.
The cluster of coronavirus cases from Jubilant Life Sciences, which is the reason for 20 positive cases in the state including one in Ballari, could rise sharply, as people with symptoms, mainly family members of positive cases who are called as primary contacts, increases.
While the authorities had quarantined rimary contacts, they will start collecting samples early next week. There are 263 primary contacts who have been moved to quarantine facility and their samples will be tested. As at least three primary contacts tested positive, the authorities are wary.
The protocol is that samples are collected from family members on the 12th day from the date on which the person is tested positive. The first case from the Nanjangud plant was reported on March 26 and authorities will collect samples from five primary contacts early next week. While seven persons are primary contacts and home quarantined after P52 tested positive, two, including his wife, tested positive.
The DC said samples are collected from primary contacts on the 12th day as it’ll help in getting accurate results. There were 263 primary contacts from 19 cases, which will increase after two more cases reported on Thursday night. “We’ll start collecting samples and subject them to tests,” he said.
He said there were 1,087 secondary contacts related to Jubilant Life Sciences cases in Mysuru district and 230 primary contacts of employees based in Mysuru. Some are in neighbouring districts including Chamarajanagar and Mandya.
Mysuru’s first positive case was reported on March 21. But since he directly checked into the isolation ward at KR Hospital and asked family members to stay away, he has not infected them. The second case also took care not to infect others, the authorities said. It’s not the case with the Nanjangud incident, they added.
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