Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has placed the border districts of Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Chamarajnagar and Mysuru under novel coronavirus surveillance following three positive cases in neighbouring Kerala.
The four districts have been advised to immediately report to the State Surveillance Unit (SSU) if they come across any suspected cases.
Karnataka has strengthened all surveillance and control measures against the disease. So far, 81 travellers from coronavirus-affected countries have been identified and 58 are under home isolation. Sixty-nine samples have been sent from Bengaluru for testing — 44 of these have tested negative.
The one suspected case of the disease reported from Hubbali in north Karnataka has also tested negative. The patient, who returned from China on January 18 and exhibited symptoms of cough, dizziness and high fever, continues to be kept in an isolation ward at the KIMS hospital.
Health and Family Welfare Department Joint Director Dr Prakash Kumar appealed to the public not to panic.
"The state is well prepared to fight this outbreak. We have two labs in Bengaluru that can analyse samples, so we don't have to depend on Pune-based NIV anymore," he said. "All those showing samples as protocol are being tested and kept under observation for 28 days."
The health officers at the Bangalore international airport have screened 9296 passengers till date and none have tested positive.
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