Positivity rate shoots up in Kodagu

MYSURU: The positivity rate in Kodagu, which lost its green-district tag long after most of the others in the state, has shot up in recent weeks. A report by the state Covid-19 War Room shows Kodagu, a paradise for tourists, took the least number of days to double infections.
While the average doubling rate for the state is 44 days, infections doubled in Kodagu in just 30 days, the report, which had data until Monday (October 19), stated.
The district’s positivity rate over the past seven days (October 13-19) stood at 14.1%, the highest among all districts in Karnataka. Tumakuru has the second highest positivity rate at 12.7%.
According to the report, the average compounded daily Covid-19 growth rate for the past five days as on Monday for the district is 2.1%, which is next only to Bengaluru Rural district and far higher than the state average of 0.9%. As on Monday, Kodagu recorded a total 4,452 positive cases. Of them, 3,697 have been discharged, while 59 died.
The increase in cases is putting pressure on the district’s limited health infrastructure. Data reveals that there are only two ventilator beds and 29 oxygen beds for Covid-19 patients.
The rise in cases coincides with the opening up of tourist spots and comes despite precautionary measures by the district administration. It may be recalled that Madikeri Dasara and Cauvery Theerthodbhava rituals were conducted in a very simple way.
Kodagu deputy commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy said district health officials are also conducting more tests. “We are focusing on certain target groups,” she said.
Munish Moudgil, head, Karnataka state Covid-19 War Room, said the positivity rate in general reflects a higher level of infection and the district needs to ramp up testing.