COVID-19: Karnataka declares 5 districts as red zones including Dakshina Kannada

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, April 1, 2020: The state government has identified some districts including Dakshina Kannada as ‘cluster zones’ or ‘red zones’ to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The other four districts are Mysuru, Uttara Kannada, Bengaluru and Chikkaballapur.

Mangaluru has been under strict lockdown as it is close to Kasargod in Kerala which reported many positive cases and is also one of the ‘hotspots’ in the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) list. The next in order to be marked as ‘sensitive zone’ is Uttara Kannada district with Bhatkal town being under strict vigilance. Seven people, mostly, with travel history to Dubai and Mecca, have tested positive.

The officials will ensure that the districts declared as red zone get extra attention in terms of containing COVID-19 cases. Not only door-to-door awareness campaigns will be done but also quarantine cases and contact histories will be monitored closely. The lockdown measures will also be strictly imposed in these districts.

Some of the surrounding villages have been identified as buffer zones to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said, “Whether Bengaluru figures in NCDC list or not,  Karnataka government has already ensured strict measures in most of our districts.  Bengaluru is one among them and it is natural to be termed as ‘hotspot’ as there is a movement of more than 2 million IT population in the city and needs extra attention.”The measures will be even  more stringent in the next two weeks, he said.

Mysuru has 13 positive cases from one pharmaceutical factory in Nanjangud. The cluster cases began with one of their employees with no travel or contact history testing positive. Subsequently,  12 others tested positive. Now, 1,372 of its employees have been put under home quarantine and the entire Nanjangud area has been under lockdown.

In Bengaluru, the implementation of the lockdown has been strict due to the high influx of IT employees. The officials are ensuring that no one steps out unnecessarily.According to senior epidemiologists, there is a need for multiple but localised lockdowns even after  the countrywide relaxation of lockdown rules. “It is important to identify places where total lockdown or allowing step-wise relaxation is allowed after April 14. This will help in containing the virus,” said a senior epidemiologist.

Hotspots
Bengaluru - 45 cases
Mysuru (Nanjangud) - 14 cases
Chikkaballapur - 9 cases
Uttara Kannada (Bhatkal) - 8 cases
Dakshina Kannada (Mangaluru) - 8 cases