Bengaluru-techie tests positive for coronavirus, primary schools shut

A Bengaluru-based techie on Monday (March 9) was tested positive with the novel coronavirus, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 45.

This is the first case of COVID-19 reported from Karnataka. The patient had a travel history of the United States (Austin, Texas) via Dubai on March 1 and is being treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases in the city.

“The patient and four others, including his family members and a driver, have been quarantined and isolated for treatment. One of his colleagues has also been admitted to the hospital for showing coronavirus symptoms,” said Health Minister K Sudhakar.

“The condition of the patient, a software engineer who returned to the city from the US, is stable. We are taking necessary measures to not let the virus spread. While we quarantined the family members and their driver, officials are reaching out to the patient’s co-travellers, to screen them for possible infection,” Sudhakar added.

The minister said to date, samples of 432 people were sent for testing, of which 364 were tested negative while the results of others are awaited.

Meanwhile, Education Minister S Suresh Kumar, who had declared holidays for all pre-KG, LKG and UKG classes to be shut indefinitely starting on Monday, extended the same to all primary classes in the city corporation (BBMP) limits, in Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural districts.

“The situation is under control. The decision to shut schools is just a precautionary measure and it was decided considering children are more vulnerable to infections,” Kumar said.

According to the Health Department notification, 982 people were identified for observation in the state, of which 266 people completed 28 days of observation.

Till date, 91,911 passengers have been screened in Bengaluru and Mangaluru airports, and at Mangalore and Karwar seaports.