Karnataka Ups Battle Against Coronavirus: Forms Special Task Force, Entire Kodagu Village Under Containment

Even as news of a 35-year-old man from Kodagu testing positive was confirmed on Thursday (20 March), taking the total in the state to 15, the district administration has declared the entire village of Kuthimotte-Kondangeri a containment zone.

The village has been sealed off by the district administration which will also provide food and basic supplies to the cordoned off area, as all shops and businesses in the area to have been ordered to shut down. A 5 km area around the village has been declared a buffer zone, as reported.

Meanwhile the state has also sought information from all those who may have travelled with the 15th confirmed case. All passengers who were board the Dubai to Bengaluru Indigo flight no: 6E96 that landed in the city at 4.15 pm have been asked to report to the nearest government hospital.

The state has also requested people who would have travelled by Rajahamsa bus (KA 19 F 3170) that left from Satellite bus stand in Bengaluru to Madikeri on 15 March at 11:33 pm to also do the same. Thirty-three passengers from the bus did not have reservations and the department has no data regarding the same.

The state is on war footing to contain the spread of the disease. Having set apart Rs 200 crore for emergency response, Karnataka has now formed a special task force that includes Deputy Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Minister for Health B S Sriramulu, Minister for Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Chief Secretary Vijaya Bhaskar.

All international passengers who arrived at the Bengaluru international airport have been stamped and instructed to stay quarantined in their homes.

As shared by official sources, the passengers were thermal tested and then special buses were arranged for all asymptomatic ones to be ferried to the nearest designated hospital. All luggage was disinfected. and after consultation of previous medical issues based on which they were categorised into Moderate and low risk cases.

Those on moderate risk have been asked to stay back at the health check-up cum quarantine facility and will be discharged for home quarantine based on medical advice. Those with no risks were dropped back to the airport. Affected passengers appreciated the screening system put in place as all procedures were completed within two hours of their arrival at the airport.