Elderly man dies in Karnataka, govt says no information on Coronavirus link

A 76-year-old man from the district headquarters town of Kalaburagi suspected to be infected with coronavirus died on Tuesday night, and the exact cause of his death is being ascertained, officials said.

Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday said there is no confirmation that the death was due to coronavirus and test reports of his samples were awaited.

The man had recently returned from Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, the district health and family welfare department said the man was suspected to be infected with coronavirus.

The state reported four positive cases yesterday, the minister said.

"There is no need for any fear..the person who died in Gulbarga (Kalaburagi), we have no information that he has died due to coronavirus. We are waiting for reports, once we get the reports, we will inform," Sriramulu said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the person had gone to Saudi Arabia in January end and came back on February 29.

On his return, he was down with fever and took treatment at a private hospital. Later, on the advice of doctors or family he had gone to Hyderabad, the minister said.

The person had severe asthma history, blood pressure, and appendicitis, among other things, and he died, the minister said.

A senior health department official later clarified the man died on the way back from Hyderabad around 11 pm on Tuesday.

Listing the chronology of events, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Jawaid Akhtar said the person got treated at an OPD of a private hospital in Kalaburagi on March 5, the next day he got admitted and on March 9 he got shifted to Hyderabad.

Sriramulu said all four COVID-19 positive cases reported in the state are stable.

Precautionary measures have been taken at places visited by the four people who tested positive and those who had come in contact with them.

Meanwhile, the State government issued a notification with temporary regulations regarding COVID-19 and to take special measures to be observed by the public to prevent outbreak of the disease.

It would be called 'The Karnataka Epidemic Diseases, Covid-19 regulations 2020.'

The state government has also decided to postpone all international conferences in the state with immediate effect till further notice.