MANGALURU: Covid-19 cases and fatalities continued to rise in Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka with eight more deaths taking the toll in the coastal district to 38 on Friday. Meanwhile, out of 38 deaths, 23 were reported in the district in the past 10 days.
The eight Covid-19 deaths that DK reported on the day included seven male and one female with co-morbidities. This includes an officer from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on duty at the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL). CISF@CISFHQrs tweeted: “DG #CISF & all ranks are deeply saddened on the tragic loss of our #CoronaWarrior ASI/Exe K B Premsha of CISF Unit MRPL Mangalore who laid his life at the altar of duty battling #COVID19 infection. We express heartfelt condolences to the grief-stricken family members.”
The youngest one who died of the disease on Friday is a 35-year-old male, a case of obesity and the oldest victim, a 68-year-old male, was suffering from hepatic encephalopathy, liver cirrhosis and diabetes.
The district also recorded 139 positive cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours taking the total cases to 1,848. While the district has 1,057 active cases under treatment, 51 were discharged on Friday.
Deputy commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh said an expert committee has been formed to analyse the cause of death in eight fatalities reported on Friday.
Meanwhile, former health minister U T Khader said there is community spread in the district. “Don’t be panic just because the number of positive cases increases. We should change ourselves and learn to live with it. Community spread is there in the district and state. Law Minister J C Madhuswamy himself has agreed to it. We have to manage it properly and should not mismanage. Random check-up should be made compulsory in all the districts where the number of cases is increasing. We are lucky here since the District Wenlock Hospital has sufficient number of beds and there are many medical colleges and private hospitals in Mangaluru,” Khader said.
Khader, the MLA of Mangaluru, said random sampling camps were held in Ullal in a bid to check the spread of Covid-19. A helpline will be set up in the constituency in association with NGOs to tackle the crisis. Meanwhile, ward committees have been constituted in each ward of the Ullal City Municipality limits, to tackle the situtaion.