Karnataka govt projections estimate total tally in Kalaburagi, Yadgir could breach 10,000 mark

KALABURAGI: In the evening bulletin released by the Karnataka government on Tuesday, Kalaburagi district stood second in the number of Covid-19 cases reported in the past 24 hours with 63 cases, behind only Dakshina Kannada, where 79 people were confirmed infected in the corresponding period. Yadgir district, meanwhile, reported six cases, pushing its overall tally to a whopping 828, of which 472 are active cases.
The upward spiral in Kalaburagi and Yadgir districts has experts a worried lot, with many of them expressing fears of the cumulative tally in these two districts alone crossing the dreaded 10,000 mark. The projection is the result of an assessment carried out by the state government, which is carrying out district-specific surveys to ensure that there are sufficient number of beds, ventilators and adequate supply of oxygen, to ensure preparedness should there be a sudden spike in the number of Covid-19 cases.
In Kalaburagi, officials in the district administration said that there were 3,000 beds reserved for Covid patients. In all, the district has reported 944 cases, of which 523 are active at the moment. Kalaburagi deputy commissioner Sharath B told TOI that, the data collated by the state government projected that the district could report as many as 7,000 cases.
“We have been asked to arrange required facilities for that number of patients,” Sharath said.
However, the state government has not specified a timeline within which it expects the number of cases to surge to the estimated figure. “But we have decided not to tarry. We have begun arranging for more beds to ensure we are prepared for all emergencies. The district administration is fully prepared to handle such a situation, so the people need not worry,” Sharath added.
In neighbouring Yadgir district, the state government fears that the number of Covid cases may cross 3,000. Both Kalaburagi and Yadgir have registered an influx in the number of migrants returning from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa, with more than 1.5 lakh people returning home in the past month.
Yadgir DC M Kurma Rao was quick to point out that the estimate of the number of cases could be revised if the spread of the novel coronavirus was arrested in the district. “Many patients with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and influenza like illness (ILI) have been testing positive in the district, which is a cause for concern for us,” he added.
Rao said that there were more than 1,000 beds reserved for Covid patients in Yadgir, and work was under way to arrange more to ensure that the district was not caught ill-prepared should the projection prove accurate. “Patients with SARI testing positive for novel coronavirus need oxygen supply, and in Yadgir, three patients who were supplied oxygen recovered,” he added.