Covid-19: Udupi and Chamarajanagar - A case in contrast

Karnataka's Udupi district with only three COVID cases during the lockdown woke up to a rude shock when many people returning from the Mumbai and foreign countries following the relaxation were tested positive for the virus.

Udupi/Chamarajanagar (Karnataka): Karnataka's Udupi district was in the green zone till the lockdown imposed following the Covid-19 pandemic was relaxed. The coastal district had registered just three cases. However, the Covid-19 infection cases soared due to Mumbai connection.

Covid-19 was mainly detected in those returning to the district from Mumbai as soon the lockdown rules were relaxed. Now, Udupi is in the top position in the Covid-19 state tally.

The connection between Mumbai and the Udupi district is very old. People from Udupi have been going to Mumbai and foreign countries in search of jobs. The deputy commissioner said getting the people of the district, who are working in Mumbai, was inevitable. But the reality is financial relationship between Udupi and Mumbai as well as other countries (mainly Gulf countries) is quite known too.

Now, the Udupi district administration is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that those, who are coming to the district from Mumbai as well as other countries, are quarantined to contain the spread of the virus. It has made all necessary arrangements to ensure that the dreaded disease does not touch the villages.

The district administration officials are eager to free Udupi from the clutches of Covid-19 within a few days. All their efforts are directed towards this aim. However, the number of people, applying to return to Udupi from Mumbai, is increasing day by day. This has become a headache for the district administration.

In contract, the border district of Chamarajanagar, which was in the red zone with several cases, has effectively controlled the spread of the dreaded viral disease, thanks to the efforts of the district administration.

Chamarajanagar shares border with Kerala and Tamil Nadu which have significant number of Covid-19 cases. The district administration officials took the decisions quickly and implemented them with equal determination.

The officials started screening the people as soon as the (country’s) first Covid-19 case was reported in Kerala. Corona virus wards were opened in taluk and district hospitals in early March. The screening of people was regular at the Moolehole check post near Bandipur by the time the first Covid-19 patient recovered in Kerala.

Later, the district administration took a bold step by banning the movement of interstate vehicles. This was indeed a significant step in the fight against Covid-19.

The district officials quarantined the people coming from Tamil Nadu and those working at Nanjangud-based Jubilant Generic factory. Also, the number of people returning from Maharashtra to the district was also less. The officials took independent decisions and never came under pressure from politicians, their followers and elected representatives to allow the movement of interstate vehicles.

The people also informed the health department officials about movement of people from other places to their villages. They also laid restrictions on the entry of other people into their areas.

The police and the district-level officials took a lot of initiatives to create awareness about Covid-19. The corona warriors ensured that everyone wore masks and maintained social distance without fail. As a result, Chamarajanagar is a Covid-free district in the state today.