Kumaraswamy blames officials for spread of COVID-19 in Mandya

Bengaluru, May 1 () As Mumbai link surfacing in someCOVID-19 cases in Mandya district in Karnataka, JDS leader andformer chief minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday blamed thedistrict administration for the situation, accusing it of notquarantining 7,000 labourers who 'returned' from theMaharashtra capital. "The information we have is that there are about 16,000labourers from Mandya were working in Mumbai of which 7,000people reached the district. None of them were quarantinedproperly," Kumaraswamy told reporters in Bengaluru.He claimed the district, a stronghold of JDS, was staringat a major spurt in cases due to the careless attitude of thedistrict administration. "Government should initiate action against those who areresponsible for the laxity," he said. However, he did not specify when the 7,000 workersreturned to Mandya. When asked about Kumaraswamy's claim, officials said theyhave to verify it. Of the eight cases reported from Mandya on Friday, threehad travel history to Mumbai, a major COVID-19 hotspot in thecountry, officials said. A Health department official said four of the fresh caseswere contacts of a patient who tested positive on April 8 andadmitted to a hospital. After weeks of coming in contact with him, the four wereconfirmed for COVID-19, official said. The Three people with travel history to Mumbai had in factbrought the body of a man who died of heart attack there onApril 24, the official added. GMSVS VS