ILI cases cause DK’s climb up Covid chart, 3 more succumb

Mangaluru/Udupi: A steady rise in influenza-like illness (ILI) cases – 29 for the day—- pushed Dakshina Kannada (DK) district’s march up the state’s Covid-19 chart, with 75 fresh cases being reported on Saturday. Neighbouring Udupi on the other hand, despite recording 19 fresh cases, stands third in the list of districts with total positive cases at 1,276, while DK is fifth with 1,087 cases, behind Bengaluru Urban (8,345), Kalaburagi (1,597) and Ballari (1,154).
Three patients with co-morbidities, succumbed to the coronavirus in DK on Saturday, taking the fatalities to 22. All three patients were admitted to Wenlock Hospital on Thursday and Friday, in a highly critical condition. Their swab reports received on Saturday confirmed that they were infected, stated deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh.
Eleven out of 75 cases were those who came from Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Dubai, and six were diagnosed with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). A patient who underwent surgery tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and his contacts are being traced. Another person tested positive during random sampling. A woman tested positive after giving birth, and 24 are primary contacts and one of the patients is a secondary contact, she said. In all, 13 patients were discharged in DK.
Stepping up enforcement, the Mangaluru City Corporation and Mangaluru city police cracked the whip on those violating norms pertaining to Covid-19, including not using masks, violating social distancing, and breaking home quarantine rules and venturing out, said city police commissioner Vikash Kumar. “Some people on compulsory home quarantine leave their registered mobile at home and venture out. Strict action will be taken against them,” he warned.
Udupi DC G Jagadeesha who said that the curfew on Sunday will be implemented strictly across the district, barring for those in essential services, said Udupi that recorded 19 positive cases, presently has 160 active cases, and 1,114 out of 1,277 positive cases have been discharged thus far. Authorities are awaiting reports of 1,712 swab samples, the DC said. As on date, 17,545 samples have been collected and reports in 15,833 cases have been received thus far.