Uttarakhand on high alert after two women test Covid positive

Dehradun, May 24 (IANS) 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.

--IANS

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