Karnataka: 48 per cent positive patients since May 1 travelled from other states

BENGALURU: Of the 897 individuals who tested positive in Karnataka in the first 20 days of this month, 433 (48%) have returned from other states. Experts, however, say interstate travellers contributing to the spike was expected.


“This was inevitable. However, we are yet to see cases among those who travelled on Shramik Special trains,” say health and family welfare department officials.

Karnataka had 565 cases as on April 30 and the number touched 1,462 on May 20, a 159% spike. On May 1, three persons in Mandya, who had returned from Mumbai, were found positive, adumbrating the upcoming surge. Districts like Haveri, Yadgir, Koppal and Raichur, which hadn’t reported any case till April-end, are now reporting their first cases with migrants returning from Maharashtra testing positive. On Tuesday, 105 of the day’s 149 cases were linked to travel from Maharashtra. It was 52 of 67 on Wednesday.

“This spike was bound happen. All interstate travellers will undergo a test between 5-7 days of quarantine,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, health commissioner.

However, Dr CN Manjunath, nodal officer, labs and testing, Covid-19 taskforce, said the spiral is a bit steep. He had earlier said by May-end, the state would touch the 2,500 mark. “I’m scared now looking at the rise in number of cases. The decision to allow movement between states has diluted gains of the lockdown,” he said.

Dr MK Sudarshan, chairman, Covid-19 technical committee, Karnataka, however, isn’t worried by the surge. “Let’s not be scared of numbers. We need to ensure deaths don’t increase. Though from a medical perspective allowing movement between states may not have been a great idea, this was done more from a humanitarian, socio-economic perspective,” he said.

According to him, some decisions of the Karnataka government are better than GoI guidelines. “We treat all positive cases in hospitals and quarantine travellers soon after they enter Karnataka. With this, there are less chances of the virus spreading. Covid-19 patients will be discharged from hospitals only after they test negative after 14 days. This will instil confidence in the patient, his family and neighbours,” he explained.

A senior bureaucrat told TOI the government should have allowed stranded migrants to go to their home states at the beginning of the lockdown itself. “Now, cases will increase across the country due to the movement,” the IAS officer said. Officials said their next worry is the thousands of Mumbai hospitality industry employees, who are expected to return to their hometowns and villages in coastal Karnataka.