Karnataka: 12 deaths in coastal districts push back efforts to tame spread of Covid-19

MANGALURU/UDUPI: With Ballari’s Covid-19 positive cases continuing its surge with 452 fresh cases on Tuesday, Dakshina Kannada that recorded 173 cases, same as Dharwad remained in the third spot among districts in terms of overall positive cases in Karnataka. Udupi recording 109 cases meant that the two coastal districts cumulatively combined for sub-300 cases for the first time in the last week, on a day that total positive cases in DK crossed the 5000 mark.
If the tapering of cases was some matter of comfort for the respective district administrations, the 12 covid19 related deaths, including a record eight deaths in Udupi meant that more people with co-morbidities continued to fall prey to the pandemic. Two of the four deaths reported in DK including three male and a female were from Bantwal and one each from Sakleshpur in Hassan district and the other from Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada district.
As per details in the state bulletin of seven of the eight recorded deaths in Udupi, two of the patients – both male aged 53 and 40 respectively - were brought dead on arrival to hospitals on July 23 and 26 respectively. Other victims included 46, 63 and 40-year-old males respectively and 60 and 62-year-old females. The total positive cases in Udupi went up to 3722 and deaths stood at 22. Active cases as on date are 1461 and total of those discharged 2239.
In a related development, Kota Shrinivas Poojari, DK district minister took up the issue of 124 Covid19 related deaths in the district with deputy chief minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan via video-conferencing with the district administration. DC Sindhu B Rupesh said out of these, 79 were reported in private hospitals and rest in district Wenlock Hospital. Poojari sought clarity from the higher education minister on categorisation of Covid19 deaths.
Sindhu in the district bulletin said 91 of the 173 cases in DK were categorised as influenza like illness (ILI), source of how 38 contracted it is being investigated, 22 are cases of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI), 21 are primary contacts and one positive case is reported in an international traveller. Health authorities as on date have discharged 2338 patients including 41 on Tuesday and the number of active cases in the district is 2632.
Udupi deputy commissioner G Jagadeesha said the district administration on Tuesday registered FIRs against 69 persons for violating the home quarantine rule. The action was taken after these persons who are inter-state and inter-national travellers and directed to undergo home quarantine were warned for prior violations of the quarantine condition, he said adding the administration is keeping close watch via the Quarantine Watch App.