Haveri district, which was hitherto identified in the Green Zone, registered its first COVID-19 positive case on Monday with one of the three persons who had returned from Mumbai testing positive for the pandemic.
Addressing a press conference in Haveri, Deputy Commissioner Krishna Bajpai said that the 32-year-old man (P-639)from Savanaur town in the district tested positive and they were waiting for the test results of his 40-year-old brother and his brother’s 19-year-old son.
He said that all the three were working in the construction industry in Navi Mumbai and they had travelled from Mumbai in a truck and had reached Savanur on the night of April 28. Based on information provided by locals, they were brought to the designated hospital and their nose and throat swabs were sent for tests. Now, it has been confirmed that one of them has tested positive and efforts are on to trace all those who had come in contact with the patient and also the truck driver who had brought him from Mumbai, Mr. Bajpai said.
As per protocol, a total of 21 persons, including the infected person’s family members, friends and the team of doctors and health staff have been identified as primary contacts and they have been quarantined at the designated hospital and they are being tested for the infection.
Mr. Bajpai said that 14 persons had been identified as secondary contacts and all of them had been home quarantined now.
Two extension areas located in the surroundings of the patient’s house in Savanur have been identified as containment zone and have been sealed down.
“A total of 394 houses with a population of 1,789 people are living in the locality and only one exit and entry point have been provided. An area in a 5-km radius has been identified as buffer zone and movement of people has been restricted,” he said and added that all necessary arrangements had been made for supply of essential commodities to the locality.
He said that those coming from outside the district and the State would be subjected to health check-up and then would be home quarantined. A mobile fever clinic is being set up shortly, he said.
The Deputy Commissioner said that quarantine centres had been set up in all the taluks of the district by converting nine hostels and lodges. Government hospitals in Ranebennur, Hirekerur and Shiggaon had been converted into COVID-19 health centres and fever clinics had been set up in all the taluks, he said.
A total of 754 workers from other States and 286 from other districts have been kept at the quarantine centres. This apart, a total of 29,241 people, including 3,350 from other States, have been home quarantined and all of them have completed the 28 day quarantine period.
