Coronavirus: Teams of Bengaluru police, civic body to check if foreign returned are observing home quarantine

Karnataka Health Department has said that 500 teams of Bengaluru police and the civic body will go to houses to check that those who returned from foreign countries are observing home quarantine in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

Those found violating the quarantine rules will be penalised for criminal offence under the IPC and the Epidemic Act, the Health Department said.

"500 teams of Bangalore Police and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike on March 22 will go to the houses of about 30,000 people who returned from foreign countries, to check if they are obeying home quarantine. Hand stamping will be done and notices will be served," the state Health Department said in a release.

"They will be tracked also. Any foreign returned person violating home quarantine will be liable for a criminal case under the Indian Penal Code and Epidemic Act," it added.

The Health Department on Saturday also confirmed five fresh coronavirus cases in the state, taking the count to 20.

"Till date, 20 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state which includes one death. 18 positive patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable," the department said.

A total 1,377 samples were collected for testing out of which 996 were tested negative and 170 alone were collected on Saturday. Of these 26 were reported negative.