Coronavirus news: Kalaburagi in Karnataka had reported the first COVID-19 death (file photo)
Kalaburagi, Karnataka:
It’s been more than a fortnight since no COVID-19 related death has been reported at Kalaburagi in north Karnataka but a year ago this district had hit the headlines with the first death due to the coronavirus. A 76-year-old man. from Kalaburagi, was the first victim of coronavirus in India. He had contracted the deadly virus in Saudi Arabia. The death due to the virus was confirmed on March 12, creating shock and panic in the country.
The town was the first to adjust to the new normal in the face of COVID-19 outbreak and embrace measures such as hand hygiene, maintaining physical distance, using sanitisers, face masks and
marking containment zones. As on Tuesday, the district has witnessed a total of 22,208 cases, 21,665 recoveries, 213 active cases and 330 deaths.
“We can say coronavirus in Kalaburagi is under control though there is a rise in cases. A fortnight ago an old man had died but since then there is no COVID-related fatality here,” District Health Officer, Dr Rajashekhar Mali told PTI. The DHO said this increase could be linked to Maharashtra where the COVID-19 cases are rising.
“However, we don’t have any containment zones because the situation is well under control,” Dr Mali added. According to him, people don’t take COVID-19 as a stigma anymore as the deaths are almost nil barring the one a fortnight ago. “Our recovery rate is also very good and the number of active cases are quite less,” the DHO added.
He said that there is good response to the vaccination drive though more elderly people need to take the shot. Meanwhile, the 76-year-old man’s son reportedly claimed that his family has not yet received his father’s COVID-19 positive report despite running from pillar to post in the last one year.
A year after the first death, the coronavirus is well under check all over Karnataka with many districts reporting zero fatality for the past several weeks. However, Bengaluru Urban district has hardly witnessed zero deaths or infections below hundred on a daily basis since the peak.