76-year-old man from Kalburgi died of coronavirus, says Karnataka Health Department

New Delhi: Karnataka Health Department on Thursday (March 12) confirmed the first case of coronavirus death. The 76-year-old man from Kalburgi died on Tuesday, has been confirmed for COVID 19, said the state Health Department.

The statement issued by Karnataka Health department said, "The 76-year-old man from Kalburgi who passed away and was a suspected COVID 19 patient has been Confirmed for COVID 19. The necessary contact tracing, isolation and other measures as per protocol are being carried out. Telangana government has also been informed since he went to a private hospital there."

The man had returned to Karnataka from Saudi Arabia about 10 days ago and died in the Kalburgi district on Tuesday.

States have issued helpline numbers for COVID-19

Earlier in the day, a 26-year-old man who returned From Greece has also tested positive for coronavirus, making it the fifth case in Karnataka, the health department said today.

The patient has been admitted and isolated at a hospital and his condition is stable, a department media bulletin said, adding "All (his) primary contacts have been traced and are asymptomatic. Home quarantine has been advised and being followed-up." 

The patient is reportedly from Mumbai. He travelled from Greece to Mumbai on March 6, and came by flight to Bengaluru on March 8, sources told PTI, adding that he had been to office on March 9, during which he is said to have spoken to four of his close friends and gone back home after a few hours.

The man reportedly used an autorickshaw to commute in Bengaluru. The information has been collected about the driver and three members of his family and all precautionary measures have been taken.

There have been 76 confirmed cases of coronavirus in India. Even a three-year-old has tested positive in Kerala, who had a travel history to Italy with parents.

In December 2019, the coronavirus outbreak was first reported in Wuhan city of China. The disease has affected over 100 countries and has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.