A day after it was confirmed that Mohammad Hussein Siddiqui, 76, a resident of Kalaburgi in Karnataka died of COVID-19, the health department of Telangana said it identified the people who came in contact with the man while he underwent treatment at the two private hospitals.

All 34 are medical personnel including doctors, paramedical staff and ambulance staff.

Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao said they were kept under strict isolation. He said their condition was stable and they will remain under observation. Officials were trying to find out if some more people had come in contact with the deceased person.

Those isolated have not shown symptoms. The official stated that the cause for worry of the spread of the disease in the city was minimal as the patient was in the city for perhaps 10 to 12 hours.

Siddiqui had returned from Saudi Arabia on February 29.

He is reported to have approached three private hospitals in Hyderabad. While one hospital refused to treat him as it was a designated hospital for suspected COVID-19 patients, he was treated by another private hospital

The hospitals that provided the treatment in a press statement said they had taken all necessary precautions followed protocols when treating the patient.

Doctors had screened him for coronavirus but before the test results could come, his relatives took him back to Kalaburgi on Tuesday. He reportedly died on his way back.

Meanwhile, the Telangana health department in a bulletin said 143 persons are suspected to have symptoms of COVID-19 in the state. While 26 of them are in hospital isolation, the remaining are under home quarantine.

Officials said test results of 23 persons were awaited. The state reported the first positive case on March 2, the techie, who had returned from Dubai, has been discharged from the hospital late Friday evening.