More people have come from Kerala and Tamil Nadu to Mysuru than Mumbai: DC

Hanagodu/Mysuru: The Maharashtra or the feared Mumbai link of COVID-19 positive cases has spread its tentacles into rural areas and as an evidence of this, late last evening, one woman who had come from Mumbai to Hanagodu village tested positive. The village located on the main road leading to Nagarahole National Park has been sealed by Mysuru Health Department and the Police this morning.

However, there is no official confirmation by the Mysuru District Administration about the positive case as of now but photos and reports from Hanagodu confirm about the COVID positive case.

Hanagodu is a remote village near Hunsur and is located on the fringes of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. Yesterday, a woman from Penchahalli near Hanagodu was tested positive. She had come from Mumbai along with her husband and son. The family lived in Mumbai and the woman’s husband was a taxi driver attached to a travels company.

Family stayed in Mumbai

According to Health Department sources, the family arrived in Mysuru five days back and it is not clear about their mode of transport from Mumbai as of now. Soon after their arrival in Mysuru, they were put in institutional quarantine and as the woman was pregnant, she and her son were sent to Penchahalli three days back as according to the rules stipulated by the State Government, pregnant women, children and the elderly are exempted from institutional quarantine.

The woman’s husband remained in institutional quarantine. The health authorities had taken their swab tests on arrival and yesterday, the woman tested positive. A team of health officials and the Police led by Hunsur Tahsildar came to Penchahalli last night and shifted the pregnant woman and her son to the designated COVID-19 Hospital on KRS Road.

Road sealed

This morning, the Penchahalli Road has been sealed and health officers are making the rounds of the village to ascertain primary and secondary contacts. Villagers are being informed about the positive case and the contacts are being traced.

Though there is tense atmosphere in the village as the woman had visited a milk booth and a couple of shops, villagers are being told by the Police and other authorities not to panic. They said that if the primary contacts are traced, they will be quarantined.

Not many Mumbai-returnees

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar said that till yesterday in Mysuru there were 8 cases and two of the earlier tested positive cases have been discharged. On people arriving from other States, especially Maharashtra, he said that there are less arrivals from Mumbai to Mysuru when compared to returnees from Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

“There are not many Mumbai-returnees in Mysuru as is being speculated for the rising number of positive cases. Over 400 persons had registered to return to Mysuru from Mumbai through the Seva Sindhu App. But only 200 have come so far. Compared to them, the number of people who have come from other districts are 2,000 and among them returnees from Tamil Nadu and Kerala are high,” he said.

400 samples a day

On the testing front, the DC said, 400 cases (swab samples) are tested daily and not many reports are expected from the lab. As other districts at present have their own testing labs, the pressure on Mysuru COVID lab (Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory) in K.R. Hospital premises is much less now.

“Yesterday through a video conference, we have asked all private hospitals and taluk centres to send fever and influenza-like illness (ILI) patients to either COVID labs or fever clinics for sample collection and testing. Testing in Government facilities is free,” he said.