Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Saturday said that a person from the state’s Chikkaballapura tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), the virus responsible for the present pandemic. This takes Karnataka’s total number of positive cases to 16 including the two patients who were discharged on Friday.
“A 32-year-old person was tested positive for COVID-19 in Chikkaballapura today (Saturday). The said person has been admitted to the designated hospital and is undergoing treatment. People in the district need not panic,” Minister B Sriramulu said in a tweet.
The person had returned from Saudi Arabia, and was tested positive. This is the first case of COVID-19 being reported from Chikkaballapura. The Ministry is expected to further announce details about the case in a bulletin.
Sriramulu further stated that thermal scanning is being done at all government offices and CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the people coming in and out.
ನಮ್ಮ ಸರ್ಕಾರವು ಮುಂಜಾಗ್ರತಾ ಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ, ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಕಛೇರಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಥರ್ಮಲ್ ಟೆಸ್ಟ್ ಸಿಸಿ ಕ್ಯಾಮೆರಾಗಳ ಅಳವಡಿಕೆಗೆ ಚಿಂತನೆ ನಡೆಸುತ್ತಿದೆ.
— B Sriramulu (@sriramulubjp) March 21, 2020
Until Friday, 15 persons had tested positive including people, who recovered and were discharged. The wife of the Dell techie and the Google techie were discharged after two tests returned negative. Out of the 16 people, who were tested positive in the state as on Saturday, three are from Kalaburagi district. These include the 76-year-old man, who was declared positive, after his death, his daughter and a doctor who treated him. Twelve other cases are people from Bengaluru.
The Karnataka government issued an order on Friday that all pubs and restaurants will be shut in Bengaluru and in other districts of the state.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said on Friday that from Sunday - the day of Janata Curfew- all restaurants must close their dine-in services. Restaurants can open their kitchens and contactless delivery via Swiggy, Zomato and other food delivery apps are being permitted.
Karnataka has already issued an order to shut down schools, colleges, malls, parks and theatres.
Kalabaragi is also on complete lockdown, with the district commissioner announcing that no one should venture out, and only the essential government offices would be running, while non-essential government services will not be offered, such as issuing driving licenses.
Public gatherings have been prohibited. In Kodagu and Davangere districts, Section 144 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure has been put in place in order to maintain social distancing.