MANGALURU/MYSURU: In the wake of an uptick in Covid-19 cases in Karnataka, district administrations in Chamarajanagar, Mysuru and Dakshina Kannada have stepped up vigil along the Kerala border.
Mysuru reported a 40% rise in cases on Thursday, after sliding to double digit figures for the first time since the second wave hit, while Dakshina Kannada’s 396 fresh cases on Thursday saw the positivity rate spike to 5.7%, after it hovered around the 4% mark over the past week.
Authorities say the surge in Kerala is having a ripple effect in Karnataka.
Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner KV Rajendra said the test positivity rate in Kerala is 13-14% and people from Kasaragod district in Kerala, who have taken only one dose of the vaccine, are frequently travelling across the border.
MANGALURU/MYSURUThe test positivity rate in Kasaragod was 11.1% on Thursday with the district reporting 929 positive cases.
Rajendra and Mangaluru city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar on Friday visited Talapady, the main entry point from Kasaragod district to Mangaluru, to take stock of the situation.
“Two doses of the vaccine provides personal protection, but it will be ineffective for some people who are fully inoculated too,” Rajendra said. “I have apprised the chief minister and chief secretary of the situation in Dakshina Kannada. We face significant challenges. Border surveillance will be tightened, and strict measures will be adopted to enforce mask and social distancing norms are followed in public places. We have been conducting an average of 7,500 tests per day. We will ramp it up to at least 10,000 per day. We also planning to ban all public gatherings.”
The district recently allowed interstate buses to ply between Kasaragod and Mangaluru. Meanwhile, the DC said a surveillance team will also be deployed at railway stations in Mangaluru to monitor people arriving on trains from Kerala.
Screening at checkposts
The Mysuru and Chamarajanagar district administrations have also stepped up surveillance at border checkposts. District health authorities are closely watching developments in Kerala and have tightened vigil at both border checkposts at Moolehole and Kekkanahalli.
People arriving from Kerala are being screened, said Chamarajanagar district health officer Dr MC Ravi. “People arriving from Kerala have to mandatorily produce Covid-19 negative reports which are not older than 72 hours at the time of arrival,” he said. “We are also checking if they have taken the vaccine.” He said drivers of vehicles transporting fruits and vegetables must undergo Covid tests once every 15 days.
However, an official from Mysuru district administration said people from Kerala who have received two doses of the vaccine are exempt from producing negative certificates.
Dr T Ravikumar, health officer, HD Kote taluk, said his staff are screening people arriving from Kerala and collecting details on travellers. “We collect information such as address and phone numbers at Bavali checkpost in Mysuru district,” he said. Police, forest and health department officials have jointly intensified screening operations at Bavali border, an official said.
(With inputs from S Ramesh)
