TUMAKURU: Close on the heels of the designated COVID-19 hospital here registering its first recovery in the form of a 37-year-old cleric from Surat on Saturday, a 45-year-old man in Sira tested positive for COVID-19 resulting in the district recording its eighth case.
The 45-year-old had managed to sneak into Sira town's Peshimam Mohalla from the Padarayaranapura area in Bengaluru, which is part of the BBPM containment zone, on the night of May 4. He was isolated for treatment at the designated hospital here.
As many as eleven of his primary contacts have been isolated at the Mother-Child Hospital (MCH) in Sira town and 14 secondary contacts institutionally quarantined at Morarji Desai residential school. As soon as he entered the Peshimam Mohalla to stay in his relative's house, residents alerted the administration.
"If he had roamed in the town, it will be found out as his cellphone will be tracked down," informed the tahsildar Nahida Zam Zam. The Mohalla with 1,093 households and a population of 5,136 has been sealed, she added.
Recovery of Surat cleric
The patient from Surat, who had come with 13 of his associates and was residing at Nimra Masjid at Poor House(PH) colony here, tested positive during a random check-up on April 23 and was isolated at the hospital. As his tests came negative for samples drawn on the 12th and 13th days of his quarantine, the hospital discharged him on Saturday.
"Now, he will be institutionally quarantined until 28 days and if the samples test negative, he will be allowed to go to his state of Gujarat," informed the district surgeon Dr T A Veerabhadraiah.
The district hospital had witnessed the death of two COVID-19 patients when a 65-year-old Sira man died on March 27 and another 73-year-old from KHB colony died on April 26. A 13-year-old had recovered at the Indira Gandhi hospital in Bengaluru.
Following the patient's recovery at the designated hospital, residents have been urging that PH colony be taken off the containment zone as it has not registered a case for two weeks.
"Except for the ration under PDS, nothing has been supplied to them and hence they should be allowed to earn their livelihood," urged Tajuddin Sharief.