BENGALURU: Seven new positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of affected in the state to 98, the health department said on Tuesday. "Till date 98 Covid-19 positive cases have been confirmed this includes 3 deaths and 6 discharges," the department said in a bulletin.A 52-year old man, and 48 and 26 year-old women, who are residents of Hosapete in Ballari district, with a travel history to Bengaluru have been tested positive for Covid-19.Detailed investigation is on to find out they were infected by the virus, the department said.Sharing information about these three persons from Hosapete infected by the virus, health minister B Sriramulu on Monday night had said, they are from the same family.The seven new cases include a 40-year-old man, who is resident of Bengaluru and contact of person already tested positive undergoing treatment and a 19-year old, who is a resident of the city, with a travel history to New York.Two men aged 35 and 41 years from Mysuru, who are contacts of a patient who already tested positive, have also been confirmed for the infection.A 40-year old woman, resident of Gowribidanur in Chikkaballapur, a 34-year old man, resident of Dakshina Kannada , with a travel history to Dubai, and a 26-year old man, resident of Batkal in Uttarakannada, also with travel history to Dubai have tested positive.Meanwhile, the commissionerate, Health & family welfare services in efforts to contain Covid-19, has instructed all the private Hospitals to mandatorily report all Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases admitted under them to the District Surveillance Officer.The commissionerate has given recommendations for empiric use of Hydroxychloroquine tablets for prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 and has instructed all the Deputy Commissioners to ensure that the health workers are provided with Hydoxychloroquine tablets.All cases of severe acute respiratory illness should be referred to district level hospital or medical college with ICU facility for clinical management. Sample may be taken for Covid-19 testing as per revised sample collection protocols.