Coronavirus suspect flees from Mangaluru hospital, cops launch manhunt

The Karnataka police have a launched a hunt for a man who escaped early Monday from a hospital in Managluru where he was admitted on suspicion of coronavirus, officials said.

The man who arrived in Mangaluru from Dubai Sunday night was hospitalised for suspected coronavirus after the screening at the airport showed that he had elevated body temperature, a Karnataka health official said.

Earlier in the night, his relatives allegedly created a ruckus in the hospital to get him released and take him with them. Hospital authorities had declined saying that he was under observation given the coronavirus scare.

However, in the early hours of Monday the passenger escaped from the hospital.

"A 35-year-old passenger had arrived in Mangaluru by a Dubai flight at 8 pm in the night. On mandatory checking at the airport he was found to have asymptomatic signs with slightly elevated temperature for which he was taken to Wenlock Hospital for further tests. However, he seems to have left without informing authorities. We have his details and are co-coordinating with Pandeshwar police to ensure he comes back and his samples are collected and tested. We are taking all precautions," Mangaluru district Health and Family welfare officer Dr Sikandar Pasha said on phone.

Meanwhile, Karnataka government in its daily bulletin said that there is no confirmed case of Covid-19 in the state and nearly 890 people are under observation. A total of 87,066 passegners have been screened till date. The government also reiterated all possible preventive measures were being taken to ensure safety of the public.