Six coronavirus cases reported in historical city of Vijayapura

Hubballi: The coronavirus has spread to the historic city of Vijayapura as six positive cases were reported in the district Sunday. Five of them, including a 60-year old woman, belong to the same family. They include three children 10, 12 and 13 years old.

Officials have stepped up security arrangements and declared a confinement zone. They sealed off the area from the famous 17th century Gol Gumbaz to Managuli Agasi locality in Vijayapura where the affected family reside. The officials are making all efforts to find out the travel history of these persons.

Later in the day, the 69-year old husband of the 60-year old woman whose test reports are positive, passed away.

Deputy commissioner Y S Patil said the deceased person was kept under quarantine along with his wife and members of the joint family of 25.

The administration is waiting for a report on the blood sample and throat swab of the deceased. He was undergoing treatment in the district hospital in Vijayapur.

The officials said that health condition of the woman is also critical.

The surge of  Covid-19 cases in the district have fueled the opinion of some experts that the virus has spread to the community though many reject the claim that it has reached state three of the epidemic.

Health officials have kept all other 24 family members of the virus-infected woman under strict home quarantine as it's a joint family.

 Until Saturday, the district administration had tested throat samples of more than 400 people since the outbreak of the virus in Karnataka.

The reports of all these people including those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation in Delhi have come negative.

The detection therefore of the first case in this district on Sunday afternoon, almost three weeks after the lockdown, has baffled the district administration.

Initially, the woman had complained of cough and other symptoms of the virus a few days ago and approached several private hospitals for treatment. Finally, she was referred to the district government hospital where she was kept under quarantine.

Officials said she had also visited a private hospital in the city where her husband underwent treatment for health issues. The officials have launched a search operation to find out all those people who had come into contact with the virus infected woman and her family members.

Four more cases are found in border district of Belagavi on Sunday.