MANGALURU/UDUPI: The upward surge of fresh Covid-19 cases continued in the coastal districts with Dakshina Kannada and Udupi combining for 565 cases on Wednesday.

The day presented a grim reminder of dangers that coronavirus poses for people with comorbidities as a dozen succumbed to it, including 11 in DK. Six victims hailed from outside its limits. The lone death in Udupi was that of a 49-year-old male from Udupi taluk.

Around 41% or 129 of the 314 new cases reported in DK district were diagnosed as influenza-like illness (ILI). DC Dr K V Rajendra said the source of infection in 78 persons is being traced, 88 were primary contacts of already infected people and 19 diagnosed with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Split between symptomatic, asymptomatic patients was almost equal with 158 of them being asymptomatic and the rest 156 symptomatic.

Mangaluru taluk continued to push the Covid-19 graph north accounting for 215 cases. Bantwal accounted for 52 cases, Belthangady 10, Puttur 8 and Sullia 2. Twenty-seven cases were patients from outside DK.

Discharge of 296 patients and 11 deaths meant that the active cases stood at 2,339, total discharges at 8,423 and overall Covid-19 fatalities at 330. A majority of those discharged - 245 - were placed in home quarantine, Dr Rajendra said.

Primary contacts - 114 of them on the other hand contributed to Udupi's 251 cases. Source of infection in 90 is being traced, 45 had ILI and one each was a case of SARI and detected in a domestic traveller. In all, 74.5% of the total cases were asymptomatic, DC G Jagadeesha said. Health authorities discharged 246 patients including 147 in home isolation to leave them with 2629 active cases. The lone death meant the death tally in Udupi was 92.