Puthige Mutt seer among 233 to test +ve on coast

Mangaluru/Udupi: Sri Sugunendra Thirtha Swami of Sri Puthige Mutt, Udupi, was among the 233 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada (DK) and Udupi on Tuesday, a day that also saw the districts record six more Covid-19 related deaths, including five in DK. The seer who voluntarily got himself tested after developing fever, has been admitted to KMC Hospital in Manipal, and his condition is stable.
DK deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said the 149 cases that the district reported included 67 people who were diagnosed with influenza-like illness (ILI), 23 of them are primary contacts of those infected, 22 had severe acute respiratory illness (SARI), and the source of how 15 people contracted the disease is being traced, and one person had a history of international travel. All the five people who died in the last four days up to Monday, had comorbidities, the DC said.
Udupi again saw those discharged exceed the positive cases reported, with 92 people being discharged against 84 people who tested positive on Tuesday. As on Tuesday, 196 people are in home isolation in Udupi, said DC G Jagadeesha, adding that a 35-year-old youth from Kannur was the 11th Covid-19 victim in the district, with his passing away on Monday night. He was being treated at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, for the last 15 days for a kidney ailment. His body was buried in Udupi.
Superintendent of police N Vishnuvardhan said the Udupi district police office (DPO), as a precautionary measure and as per protocol, was sanitised after a staff member there tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Tuesday. The DPO will function with minimum essential staff as usual, the SP said scotching rumours that the office was closed. In a related development, Jagadeesha toured the city to personally check enforcement of social distancing norms and whether people were wearing masks or not.
As on Tuesday, Udupi reported a total 2,405 positive cases, and has 653 active cases. Health authorities have discharged 1,742 patients as on Tuesday. The DK district administration will initiate an intensive vulnerable people identification survey in clusters that have reported high outbreaks, from Thursday, Sindhu said, adding DK district as on date has 2,070 active cases, and a total 1,675 patients have been discharged from hospitals, including 127 patients on Tuesday.
Lockdown till 5am tomorrow
The lockdown in Dakshina Kannada will run its week-long course up to 5am on Thursday, as initially ordered by the DC, said Kota Shrinivas Poojari, district minister. Udupi will permit resumption of public transport, including inter-district KSRTC or private buses, with strict vigil at district borders to check needless travellers, Jagadeesha said. The clarification comes in wake of chief minister B S Yediyurappa announcing lifting of the lockdown across the state, earlier in the day.