80-yr-old Gadag patient attended family gathering; 44 quarantined

TNN | Apr 8, 2020, 04:49 IST

Hubballi: An 80-year-old woman from Gadag, with a medical history of severe respiratory infection, tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday, becoming the first patient from the district. She is suspected to have contracted the infection from a family gathering where relatives from Goa were present. Forty residents of the neighbourhood have been quarantined along with four of the patient’s family members.
With the addition of cases from Gadag and Mandya, the pandemic has affected 18 of the 30 districts in the state.
Ranganwadi, where the woman lives, has been declared a containment zone and residents will not be allowed to leave the neighbourhood, district in-charge minister CC Patil said. “The administration will make sure that all essentials reach residents at their doorstep,” he said.
Patil said the woman who tested positive was largely confined at home as she was unable to walk due to pain in her knees. “We suspect she contracted the infection from a recent family gathering in SM Krishna Nagar that she went to. Initial inquiries suggest four relatives from Goa were there too; efforts are on to trace them,” the minister said. “Four family members and 40 residents of the area have been quarantined in hospital and in a school in Mallasamudra.”
Deputy commissioner MG Hiremath said throat swabs of all 44 people in quarantine have been sent for tests and results expected on Wednesday morning. “The patient developed cough and fever after the family gathering. She went to a private doctor for treatment who directed her to GIMS on April 4. She was suffering from an acute respiratory infection and tests showed she had contracted Covid-19.”
Petrol bunks to remain closed
As part of containment procedure, vegetable markets and kirana stores in the twin cities will be open only two days a week and barring three petrol bunks, others will remain closed. “Orders have been issued to close the bunks. The three functioning petrol bunks will supply fuel only to emergency service vehicles. Action will be taken against the bunk management if they are found to have dispensed fuel to others,” the DC said.