Seven new novel coronavirus cases including five who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi, were confirmed taking the total number of patients in the state to 151 on Sunday, said the Karnataka Health department. Those who joined the list of COVID-19 patients comprised a couple from Bengaluru, four from Raibagh in Belagavi and one person from Ballari, health department said in its daily bulletin on Sunday.
The 151 cases include four deaths and 11 discharges, the department added.
According to the bulletin issued by the department, a 68-year old man and his 62-year old wife who hail from Madiwala in Bengaluru had returned from Dubai on March 22.
They were quarantined at a private hospital and have been asymptomatic.
Of the five COVID-19 patients who attended the Markaz of Tabhligh-e-Jamaat, four are from Raibagh in Belagavi while one person is from Ballari.
The Markaz attendees included three women and all of them are from Belagavi.
While the Belagavi patients have been isolated at the district hospital in Belagavi, the Ballari patient has been quarantined at MDRS, at Alipur in Ballari and he is asymptomatic, the bulletin said.
The department said the contract tracing of all the patients is underway.
The government appealed people who had attended Tablighi Jamaat Congregation in New Delhi to contact 080- 29711171 Arogya Sahayavani, the medical helpline number.
The department said the Indian Council of Medical Research has issued an advisory to start rapid antibody-based blood test for COVID-19 as a strategy for areas reporting clusters (containment zone) and in large migration, gathering or evacuees centres.
The department said out of 151 patients 12 have been discharged and 135 are active cases and four deaths have taken place.
The deaths took place in Kalaburagi, Tumakuru, Chikkaballapura and Bagalkote.
Of the 151 cases in Karnataka, maximum 57 has been reported in Bengaluru, 28 in Mysuru, 12 in Dakshina Kannada, 10 in Bidar, eight in Uttaara Kannada, seven in Belgavai, six in Ballari, five in Kalaburagi, three each in Davangere and Udupi and one each in Dharwad, Kodagu, Tumakuru, Bagalkote and Bengaluru rural.
In view of the increasing cases of COVID-19 in the state, Chief MInister B S Yediyurappa appealed to the people to strictly adhere to the lockdown.
Expressing his concern over the gradual increase in the cases, Yediyurappa said the damage caused by the COVID-19 worldwide is known to everyone and accordingly, the Prime Minister has announced nationwide lockdown till April 14.
"In our state, the number of coronavirus patients is increasing in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Bidar, Kalaburagi. Besides shutting down borders, prayers at all the religious places have been stopped and various other measures have been taken to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading further," the Chief Minister said in a statement.
He said people have to understand the importance of lockdown as the disease is dangerous for the country.
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