Although no positive COVID-19 case was reported from the State on Saturday, the government has intensified screening all international passengers at airports by classifying them into three risk categories.
All passengers who are symptomatic on arrival fall under risk category 1, and those aged above 60 and have co-morbidities fall under category 2. Those who fall in both these categories are being quarantined at designated facilities for 14 days from arrival.
Asymptomatic passengers arriving from any of the COVID-19 affected countries will fall under category 3 and will be advised to be under strict home quarantine for 14 days, Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar said here.
On Saturday, 11 new patients were quarantined in various hospitals in Bengaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Chikkamagaluru, Udupi, and Bidar. A total of 32 patients are isolated in the State as on Saturday. Of the 731 sample collected for testing, 590 have tested negative and the reports of the rest are awaited.
Positive cases recovering
The five positive cases under quarantine at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases and Jayanagar General Hospital are responding to treatment and recovering fast. They are being treated with anti-viral drug Tamiflu and other supportive medicine. “Although some doctors elsewhere are treating positive cases with anti-retroviral therapy (ART) drugs used on HIV patients, we are not following that method,” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, with the Centre bringing masks and hand sanitisers under the Essential Commodities Act, the Karnataka government will soon notify the Central order in its official gazette, said Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education.
No denial of treatment
Reiterating that no private hospitals and doctors should deny treatment to any symptomatic cases, Dr. Sudhakar said it is mandatory that every case should be reported to government authorities without any delay.
