Karnataka Health Minister calls emergency meeting over Coronavirus case in Telangana

Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Tuesday has called an emergency meeting of officials at Bengaluru. This meeting comes after a Telangana techie was found positive for COVID-19, the novel Coronavirus infection which has killed nearly 3,000 people across the world till now. The meeting will begin at 12.30 pm on Tuesday.

The guidelines to all the schools and educational institutions, Police, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA & UD), Transport Department, Revenue Department, and Tourism Department will be discussed in an emergency meeting.

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Earlier, Sriramulu had said, the government has strengthened all surveillance and control measures against the spread of the virus in Karnataka. Till date, 468 travellers from COVID-19 affected countries have been identified and 284 are under home isolation while one admitted in selected isolation hospital, he had said.

The Karnataka Minister had also said that till date samples of symptomatic are sent for testing, out of which 240 samples were eligible for testing and 238 were reported as negative.

He added that 104 'arogya sahayavani' (health helpline) has been set up for receiving calls and providing guidance over Coronavirus and 6,770 calls have been received and information was provided.

Globally, more than 3,100 people have died as a result of the virus, the vast majority of them in China. More than 90,000 people have been infected, with cases registered in more than 60 countries.

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First case in Telangana

The first confirmed case of novel Coronavirus in Telangana was reported from Hyderabad on Monday when a 24-year-old man, who had come in contact with some Hong Kong citizens, while he was in Dubai on February 17, tested positive for the virus. After arriving in Bengaluru on February 20, he went to Hyderabad by bus on February 22. He was first admitted to a private hospital after he displayed flu symptoms.

After four days of receiving treatment, he was shifted to a state-government hospital where he was diagnosed with the virus. Most of his close aides and neighbours are being monitored for their health condition to know their health status. On Sunday, Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender said that the state government is on high alert since the confirmation of one Coronavirus positive case here. The Health Department has issued an advisory to all educational institutes. 

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(with agencies input)