Three from Mandya test positive for Covid-19, first in the district

TNN | Apr 8, 2020, 04:36 IST

Mandya/ Mysuru: Three persons from Mandya, who were in touch with Nizamuddin markaz attendees from Mysuru, were tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Following the lab reports, a high alert has been sounded in Mandya district.
Of over 50 attendees, eight have been tested positive and they are currently undergoing treatment at the Covid hospital in Mysuru. The new cases reported from Mandya have been moved to the Covid hospital in Mandya.
According to the authorities, patient number 171 is a 32-year-old youth while P172 is 36 years old and P173 is a 65-year-old senior citizen. At least 48 primary contacts of these infected people are kept in isolation. These three persons were in touch with P134, P135, P136, P137 and P138 who are being treated at Mysuru. These five patients have a travel history to Delhi.
Mandya was on high alert after it was confirmed that several people from the district attended Nizamuddin markaz meet and had contacts with Covid-19 positive patients from Mysuru. A dedicated ward has been set up to treat these patients at Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS). According to sources, their condition is stable and they are responding to the treatment.
Soon after the district administration received the lab reports which confirmed the first Covid-19 cases in the district, which was so far free from coronavirus, the entire Malavalli and Nagamangala taluks have been declared as prohibited areas.
While the swab samples of 3 out of 7 suspects have been found positive, the reports of other persons are awaited.
Now, a red alert has been sounded in the entire district, especially in Malavalli and Nagamangala taluks. A 3-km radius around Eidgah ground has been declared as containment zone and a 7-km radius around Malavalli town has been declared as a buffer zone.
Meanwhile, authorities have also started door-to-door health screening. The entire Malavalli town has been turned into a garrison and peoples’ movements have been strictly prohibited. The timings to purchase essential items have been reduced from 9 to 6 hours. Similar measures are put in place in Nagamangala town.
Vehicle movement has been stopped in total.
SP Parashurama K held a peace meeting with the leaders of various communities. “A section of people had a few misconceptions. But we are able to clear all the doubts," said Parashurama.
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130 health teams formed
As the district administration received the reports of three Covid-19 positive cases, the health department formed 130 teams to check the health of all those who are staying in the 3-km radius which is called as containment zone. “The health teams will screen the residents of this zone in the next 28 days," said health department officers. “We will also keep an eye on the health of those staying in the buffer zone,” said an official.