COVID-19: over 400 cases in K'taka; no immediate relaxation in lockdown: govt

: The total number of COVID-19 infections breached the 400 mark in Karnataka, with 18 cases being confirmed on Monday even as the state cabinet decided to continue the lockdown measures till May 3 without any relaxation.

Cumulatively 408 coronavirus have been confirmed in the state, which includes 16 deaths and 12 discharges, the health department said in a bulletin.

Of the 280 active cases, 278 patients (including a pregnant woman) are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while two are in Intensive Care Units.

Minister S Suresh Kumar, spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, told reporters that the government planned to identify cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and Influenza like Illness (ILI) in all districts to control the fatality rate.

He said action was being taken against hospitals that are not reporting about such vulnerable cases.

"Out of 16 deaths that have occurred in the state, 80 per cent are those aged above 60 years, 11 of them are with SARI history.

The minister also appealed to those developing any symptoms to immediately go to designated hospitals and said most of the deaths had occurred as people approached hospitals at a very late stage.

He also said the number of SARI cases tested positive as of date was 29 and ILI, 2.

Kumar said all 18 cases reported on Monday, nine of them men and an equal number of women, were contacts of patients who had already tested positive.

Contact tracing has been initiated and was in progress for all the cases, the health department said.

Nine out of total of 408 cases detected and confirmed in Karnataka so far are transit passengers of Kerala.

Bengaluru urban tops the state with 89 cases, followed by Mysuru 84 and Belagavi 42.

Of the total of 112 patients discharged so far, the maximum of 45 was from Bengaluru, while Mysuru accounted for 24 and 11 were fromfrom Dakshina Kannada, the bulletin said.

Among the deceased, four are from Bengaluru urban, three from Kalaburagi, two each from Chikkaballapura and Vijayapura, and one each from Belagavi, Bagalkote, Gadag, Dakshina Kannada and Tumakuru
Of the total number tested, 1,483 were employees of Jubilant Pharma company and 477 were their family members