1 dead, 25 COVID-19 cases as Karnataka plans steps to boost economy
"The 42-year-old coronavirus infected man from Vijayapuradied of cardiac arrest on April 16... lab reports confirmed onApril 18 that he was positive for COVID-19,"he told reporters.
The deceased had visited Bengaluru with two othercoronivirus patients, he said, but did not specify the date.
Kumar said there was no need for people to panic justbecause they were diagonsed with COVID-19 as 104 people hadrecovered from the disease and had been discharged.
"Coronavirus is curable and there are a large number ofpeople who have recovered," he added.
Giving the break up of the 25 cases, he said seven eachwere from Bagalkote and Mysuru, three in Bengaluru city, twoeach in Kalaburagi and Vijayapura and one each in Belagavi,Dharwad, Mandya and Gadag.
He said nine of the 10 foreign nationals who had visiteda pharmaceutical company at Nanjangud, which has been declareda coronavirus hotspot with 67 people testing positive, werecontacted and had not shown any symptoms of COVID-19.
The tenth foreign national, who is from Germany, couldnot be contacted, Kumar said.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government on Saturday decidedto ease many lockdown restrictions after April 20, includingallowing industries to operate, but later withdrew tworestrictions, including allowing two wheelers to ply afterthat date and for 33 per cent staff in the IT-BT sector toattend office, to give a thrust to economic activities.
"However the easing of restrictions will not be permittedin COVID-19 affected areas in the state which will be declaredas containment zones," Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa toldreporters after chairing a high-level meeting, attended bysenior ministers and officials.
"It was decided that there will be no restrictions on thetransportation of essential goods, as well as constructionmaterials like gravel, sand, cement and steel," he said.
Construction workers will be allowed to stay where theyare employed, he added.
Industries would be permitted to function in industrialclusters in villages and Special Economic Zones or industrialtownships in urban areas, he said.
Inter district movement of vehicles would not bepermitted, barring between Ramanagar, Bengaluru urban andBengaluru rural district.
"These three districts will be considered as one districtin view of hectic movement of people due to industrialactivities, Yediyurappa said.
In the containment zones, an "incident commander" havingmagisterial powers would be appointed.