The Karnataka government onWednesday decided to conduct COVID-19 testing for frontline government employees besides bracing for the return of those from the state stranded abroad, as 12 new cases including one death were reported, taking the death toll to 21.The government is also making arrangements to bring back those from the state, including migrant workers stranded in Gujarat by buses.A plan of action is also getting ready on the procedures to be followed when the centre brings back Indians, including 10,823 from the state, stranded abroad."Already media persons and frontline police personnel are undergoing COVID-19 tests, today's new circular is for frontline government employees," Minister S Suresh Kumar, who is spokesperson for COVID-19 in Karnataka, told reporters.Stating that officers and staff of other departments, who have been working hand-in-hand with the health department might be at a risk of exposure to coronavirus infection, he said it has been decided to go for one time linear screening of all those frontline officers and workers of Benagaluru city to begin with.In Bengaluru, the tests will be conducted at the KCG Hospital.A 73-year-old man from Tumakuru became the 21st COVID-19 related fatality, taking the the death toll to 21 in Karnataka, where 12 new positive cases were confirmed on Wednesday.With this, the total number of infections in the state have gone up to 535.The elderly patient had complaints of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and past history of COPD (a respiratory disease), Asthma and Diabetes, the health department said, adding that he was admitted on April 25 and died at a designated hospital in Tumakuru.According to the health department's bulletin, as of 5:00 PM on April 29, cumulatively 535 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state and it includes 21 deaths and 216 discharges.It said, out of 297 active cases, 290 patients are in isolation at designated hospitals and are stable, while seven are in ICU."In last five days number of positive cases is 60, number of discharges is 64, so since last 5 days rate of growth is 1.25 per cent in the state," Kumar said.Nine patients, who have recovered, have been discharged on Wednesday.Out of them eight are from Mysuru and one from Belagavi.Among the 12 new cases, including the dead, who have reported positive, five are children (below the age of 18).This includes four girls in the age group of 4-17 years, while one is a 12 year-old-boy.While, 10 cases are contacts of patients already tested positive, one each are with history of Influenza Like Illness(ILI) and SARI.Eight out of total twelve cases are from Kalaburagai, and one each are from Hukkeri in Belagavi district, Davangere, Tumakuru and Nanjanaguru (Mysuru).Contact tracing has been initiated and is in progress for all the cases, the department said.From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru urban with 131 cases, followed by Mysuru 88 and Belagavi 53.Out of a total of 216 patients discharged so far the maximum of 58 is from Bengaluru, 56 from Mysuru, eleven from Chikkaballapura.Among the dead five each are from Bengaluru urban and Kalaburagi, two each from Chikkaballapura, Dakshina Kannada, Tumakuru and Vijayapura, and one each from Belagavi, Bagalkote and Gadag.A total of 55,404 samples were tested, out of which 4,892 were tested on Wednesday alone.So far 53,241 samples have reported as negative, 4,733 alone today.Responding to a question about bringing back the migrant workers among others who are stranded in other states, the minister said, as on today arrangements are being made to bring back those stranded in Gujarat by buses."Planning is underway for other states too as to how to bring them back," he added.A plan of action is also getting ready to bring back Indians, including 10,823 from Karnataka, stranded abroad."Government of India has taken decision to allow Indian citizens to come back to India from abroad.As far as the information we have from Karnataka total 10,823 people are stranded abroad-- tourists and visitors 4,408, students 3,074, migrants and professionals 2,784, ship crew 557," he said.Stating that 6,100 people will be returning early from abroad, Kumar said preparations have been done in the state with regard to screening, quarantine and treating them by categorising them on the basis of their health."The approximate break up given to us include- 328 passengers from Canada, 927 from USA, 2,575 from UAE, 414 from Qatar and 927 from Saudi Arabia," he added.
