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A senior citizen from Kalaburagi, Karnataka, has died of the coronavirus (Covid-19), marking the country’s first death due to the disease, now termed a pandemic.
The 76-year-old died while being treated for suspected coronavirus. Lab results that came two days after the sample was drawn showed he had tested positive for the disease.
Kalaburagi district officials have initiated contact tracing, isolation and other measures per protocol. The Telangana government has also been informed, since he had earlier gone to a private hospital in Hyderabad after landing in the city.
Confirming the news, Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu tweeted: “The 76 year old man from Kalburgi who passed away & was a suspected #COVID19 patient has been Confirmed for #COVID19. The necessary contact tracing, isolation & other measures as per protocol are being carried out.”
State on tenterhooks
The death has left the Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department on tenterhooks.
The deceased had not flown into Bengaluru — it is suspected he landed in Hyderabad from Saudi Arabia before returning to his hometown. He therefore slipped State government monitoring, said a senior official. Now, the district administration and officials in Bengaluru are handling the situation in coordination.
Fifth case
Earlier on Thursday, the fifth Covid-19 positive case was reported in Bengaluru.
According to Karnataka Health Department officials, a 26-year old man, who had flown in from Greece, has tested positive. The patient has been admitted and isolated in a hospital in Bengaluru and is stable. All primary contacts have been traced and are asymptomatic at the moment, though home quarantine has been advised and being followed up.
Early summer vacation
Suresh Kumar, Karnataka Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, has instructed schools in Bengaluru to declare summer vacations from Friday, March 13.
The respective boards — CBSE, ICSE, etc — will decide on the board examinations. Earlier in the day, the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) directorate said there will not be any changes in the scheduled time table for SSLC examinations.
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