Bengaluru: The corona virus outbreak has led the state health department request the IT companies to stop sending their employees to work abroad.

The department has further asked the IT companies to provide the list of employees who visited abroad from February onwards. Prevention measures and sanitisation protocols have also been stepped up, said Minister for Medical Education Dr Sudhakar.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were four positive cases of coronavirus disease confirmed in the state, from Bengaluru. 

After a techie who came to Bengaluru from Texas via Abu Dabhi was tested positive, another techie who had also traveled from the US, via London was tested positive.

Officials have begun contact tracing and have identified around 2,666 individuals who had come in contact with the first techie, while 12 individuals who had been in touch with the second man, reported TNM.

The state government has also set up new testing centres at Mysore Medical College & Research Institute (MMCRI) in Mysuru, Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) in Hassan and Shimoga Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) in Shivamogga.

In Bengaluru, tests are being done by the National Institute of Virology’s field unit and Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).