Two Mumbai-settled young women, one of them pregnant, have tested positive for COVID-19 in K.R. Pet of Mandya district.
The duo and some of their relatives had returned to Jaginakere of K.R. Pet taluk on April 24 in a multi-utility vehicle, after passing through several check-posts just based on a ‘mother card’ issued to the pregnant woman.
It is suspected that the MUV had reached the district by following an ambulance of V.N. Desai Government Hospital at Santacruz from Mumbai that brought the body of an autorickshaw driver, who was cremated near B. Kodagahalli near Melkote of Pandavapura taluk on April 24.
The deceased was also staying in Santacruz East and the people arrived in the MUV are also settled in the same locality. Both the vehicles had left Mumbai almost at the same time on April 23 and reached the district almost at the same time on April 24, a senior officer, under the conditions of anonymity, told The Hindu.
Mandya Deputy Commissioner M.V. Venkatesh said that the housewife (P-637), a seven-month pregnant woman, had procured the ‘mother card’ [from the authorities concerned in Mumbai]. The vehicle had passed the check-posts at Belagavi, Hubballi, Davangere, Kadur, Arsikere, Shravanabelagola and other places in Karnataka with the help of that card.
According to the officer, another patient, P-638, is a sixth semester student of Shree L.R. Tiwari College of Engineering in Maharashtra.
Delayed
Although they returned on April 24, they subjected themselves for COVID-19 tests in K.R. Pet only on May 1.
Consequent to the duo testing positive for the virus, they have been shifted to the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) hospital in the town and containment area/buffer zone has been announced at Jaginakere.
Discharged
With two new cases, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the district rose to 28, including the seven discharged cases.
While four were discharged from the MIMS recently, three from Malavalli - linked with the Tablighi Jamaat conference held at Nizamuddin masjid in New Delhi - were discharged on Sunday following their recovery.
The Health and Family Welfare Department officials said that the patients at MIMS are responding well to the treatment and are recuperating from the virus.
Appeal
Mr. Venkatesh has urged the people from Mumbai and other places of Maharashtra, which has been badly affected due to the COVID-19, not to return to the district. He also asked those who have already returned to ascertain their health condition immediately.