370 test +ve on coast, 8 fatalities in Dakshina Kannada

Mangaluru/Udupi: A minor drop of eight cases on the coast at 370 on Friday, against 378 reported 24 hours prior, was the lone bright spot on the Covid-19 front in the two coastal districts. While the fresh surge of 190 cases in Udupi saw it breach the 3,000 total cases mark to touch 3,036 cases, Dakshina Kannada (DK) that recorded eight more Covid-19 related deaths, saw its total positive cases touch 4,394 on Friday.
On a day that the Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat discussed the pandemic issue threadbare at its special meeting, the surging body count of people suffering from comorbidities only added to the spectre of the pandemic. The deceased included four people from Mangaluru taluk, two from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga district and one each from Bantwal and Puttur taluks, stated deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh, in the district bulletin.
The youngest of these victims was a 42-year-old man from Bantwal and the eldest a 75-year-old woman from Mangaluru. Their deaths were reported on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, she said, adding DK is seeing a high number of fatalities due to its status as a tertiary healthcare centre where patients in the last stage of life threatening diseases are referred to for treatment. These patients testing positive for the novel coronavirus is coincidental, she said.
Fresh cases coupled with the discharge of 125 patients from the designated Covid-19 and private hospitals, took the total number of those discharged in DK to 1,987, and there are now 2,300 active cases in the district. The 180 fresh cases included 68 patients who were diagnosed with influenza-like illness (ILI), 56 primary contacts of infected patients, and the source of infection in 45 patients is being traced, 10 patients were diagnosed with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and one is an international traveller.
The 190 cases in Udupi pushed the district’s active cases beyond the 1,000 mark to 1,096, and included 56 people who were diagnosed with ILI. Health authorities discharged 88 patients on the day, DC G Jagadeesha said, adding 499 patients are in home quarantine. In a related development, the DC warned action against people spreading the canard that the district administration has banned Naga Panchami celebrations. “You can observe it in your home and not in public,” he said.