Udupi: 8010 people have arrived in Udupi district from other states of the country and all have been subjected to quarantine. District Collector G Jagadeesh said the district is fully equipped to treat the Covid-19 positive cases in the district in the next coming days and all necessary precautions have been taken.
Addressing to media persons during the press meet at Udupi Zilla Panchayat Hall on Saturday, May 22, G Jagadeesh said that it is a long time since called for a press meet, he supposed to convey his message through video messages and all the information was carried by all the media. He gave the gratitude to the media men for the same.
For Udupi district so far, 7226 from Maharashtra, 74 from Tamil Nadu, 425 from Telangana, 43 from Andhra Pradesh, 53 from Goa, 42 from Gujarat, 1 from Delhi, 26 from Haryana, 1 from Chandigarh, 1 from Orissa, 6 from West Bengal, 6 from Rajasthan, 12 from Punjab and 93 from Kerala. A total of 8010 people were quarantined and most of the district's quarantine centers were filled, DC said.
DC G Jagdeesh made it clear that the quarantine center's throat fluid sample had to be sent for examination and no one would be released from Center even after the 14-day period had passed.
The number of infected persons in the district is likely to increase in coming days, with the TMA Pai Covid Hospital already in operation, with a Taluk hospital in Kundapur with 125 beds, 75 beds in Taluk Hospital Karkala, 90 beds in SDM Udyavar, Bhuvanendra Hostel 58 beds in Karkala. These centers are hiring specialist doctors, medical staff and other personnel, and there is no shortage of medical equipment, including PPE kits and masks, which need treatment, said District Collector G. Jagdeesh.
The district currently has only one laboratory in KMC, Manipal and a large number of Covid specimens are to be tested in the district, which is being sent to Wenlock, KMC and Yenapoya of Mangaluru and Shimoga labs in for testing, DC said.
DC said that there is information about the quarantine persons are coming out from the centers; he warned that such persons will be charged Sec 188 and registered the case. FIR would be filled against those who illegally entered the district without pass. There is no scope to bring food from houses of the quarantine persons. But food would be allowed from houses, those who are pregnant women and children with homemade food in disposable containers, he said.
District Collector said that at present there is no shortage of funds for coronavirus related spending. The district laboratory is coming up in a budget of Rs 2 crore, we already received Rs 1 crore for coronavirus related works. We have also SDRF funds of Rs 5 crore. If we need funds for coronovirus related works, government will release at the time of our need.
To a query on illegal sand extraction from Swarna river, DC said that we have already received a complaint on illegal sand extraction from Swarna river. We have received many complaints from across the district and complaints also are filed. The district administration is not allow any illegal sand mining in the district. Meanwhile, a private complaint is filed about illegal sand mining from Swarna river. Regarding this case, we have recommended government to suspend two officers who are involved. He warned stern action will be taken against the illegal sand mining in the district.
Additional DC Sadashiva Prabhu, Udupi Zilla Panchayat CEO Preeti Gehlot and Superintendent of Pollice N Vishnuvardhan were present.