Uttarakhand on high alert after two women test Covid positiv
Uttarakhand on high alert after two women test Covid positive
Two women, including a doctor from AIIMS Rishikesh, have tested positive for Covid-19 in Uttarakhand, prompting the state health department to issue a high alert
DEHRADUN — Two women, including a doctor from AIIMS Rishikesh, have tested
positive for Covid-19 in Uttarakhand, prompting the state health department to
issue a high alert.
According to officials, both individuals recently
travelled to Uttarakhand from other states.
Dr Sunita Tamta, Director General of Health, Uttarakhand,
confirmed that a 57-year-old woman from Gujarat who had come to Rishikesh for
religious purposes exhibited symptoms of coronavirus.
After testing, she was confirmed positive and is
currently under treatment. The second patient is a doctor from Bengaluru who
has also tested positive and is receiving treatment at home, said Tamta.
She added that, as of May 22, a total of 277 COVID-19
cases have been reported across India, primarily from Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,
and Kerala.
While there are currently no active local cases in
Uttarakhand, the state is intensifying preventive measures in line with central
government guidelines.
"All Chief Medical Officers across the state have
been instructed to increase Covid testing and sampling. If any new case is
detected, genome sequencing should be conducted to identify the variant,"
Dr. Tamta stated.
She also emphasised that oxygen plants and hospital beds
are being kept operational as a precaution.
Following the two positive cases, the health department
is focusing on aggressive sampling and monitoring of incoming travellers from
other states.
Meanwhile, Karnataka has also seen a slight uptick in
COVID-19 cases, especially in Bengaluru. State Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao
on Friday confirmed that 35 cases have been reported in Karnataka this year,
with 32 of them from Bengaluru.
"A gradual increase in Covid-19 spread has been
observed in Bengaluru over the past 20 days, though the situation remains under
control," he said.
Minister Rao urged citizens to proactively follow
Covid-appropriate behaviour.
"Pregnant women, children, immuno-compromised
individuals, and those with comorbidities should wear face masks in crowded
places," he advised.
He also encouraged the use of hand sanitisers and
recommended testing for individuals showing symptoms of Severe Acute
Respiratory Illness (SARI).
In another development, a nine-month-old infant tested
positive for COVID-19 in Bengaluru on May 22 via a Rapid Antigen Test,
officials confirmed.
Authorities across multiple states are on alert as the
country witnesses a fresh wave of sporadic COVID-19 cases, and health
departments are urging continued vigilance to prevent a broader outbreak.
