Mysore/Mysuru: The State-run Cheluvamba Hospital has been sealed as a woman who delivered a baby last night has contracted COVID-19. The Hospital is likely to be open today evening or tomorrow morning after complete disinfection and sanitisation.

The woman was admitted to Cheluvamba Hospital two to three days back and as per protocol, all pregnant women admitted in any Government Hospital in Mysuru are subjected to mandatory throat swab test. Accordingly, the woman’s samples were collected two days back and were sent to the laboratory for tests. As there is a general rush in the laboratory, it takes two days for the results to arrive.

The woman, however, went into labour last night and delivered a baby at 9.30 pm. Simultaneously, her results too arrived last night and the doctors were informed about the woman testing positive. After the initial treatment provided to neo-natal mothers at the ward, the lady and the baby were shifted to the designated COVID Maternity Hospital at Jayalakshmipuram.

There were over 80 to 100 patients in the wards next to the labour ward and all of them were shifted overnight to the Children’s Block near the Cheluvamba Hospital. The labour ward and the other general wards in the vicinity have been sealed and are being sanitised. Even the entire hospital premises too are being disinfected. The healthcare staff who assisted the woman in delivery are not in danger of virus exposure as they were wearing personal protective equipment.

As a precaution and as per protocol, throat swab tests of all the other 80 to 100 patients, their new-born babies and mothers-to-be at the Cheluvamba Hospital will be conducted and they will be discharged only if the test results come negative. As the hospital has been sealed now, in case there are any emergency delivery cases, the patients will be shifted to Maternity Hospitals at Jayanagar and Nazarbad, Health Officials said.

With yesterday’s delivery, in all five COVID-19 positive women have delivered babies in Mysuru district and two more women are expecting deliveries today or tomorrow.