Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, May 29: The district initially was in green zone. However, thanks to the regular influx of people settled outside the state, particularly Maharashtra, there has been a marked increase in coronavirus positive cases in the district. Almost all the new additions, it may be noted, are migrants to the district.

The new rules which make people under quarantine for a week eligible to be released with instructions to complete the remaining seven days period via home quarantine if they do not display symptoms of the disease, may actually hurt the interests of the district, many feel. Because, most of the new positive cases are created by about 7,000 people who migrated to the district from Maharashtra.

DC checking quarantine facility in Udupi

There were many cases in the past in which the people displayed coronavirus symptoms after several days. Therefore, the government's plan to send them to their homes for remaining period of quarantine after seven days without conducting any tests might actually invite danger. One hopes that the state does not follow states like Maharashtra as far as coronavirus management is concerned. The state's initiative to allow people coming in from other districts, states and countries into the state to come in, has resulted in an exodus which the officials handling quarantine rules are finding hard to control. Many feel that the rule of 14 days mandatory quarantine and tests could at least have been applied to people coming from Maharashtra, taking into consideration the fact that the state is reeling under corona attack and many people coming from there have tested positive.

In almost all the cases, people coming from Maharashtra, when being subjected to quarantine, had claimed that they did not suffer from coronavirus symptoms. However, their tests often prove positive. There is no clarity whether they had infection before they began their journeys, whether they got coronavirus infection when travelling or during the quarantine period.

Deputy commissioner of the district G Jagadeesha, says that people coming from other states and countries will be sent to home quarantine after they complete seven days institutional quarantine. They need to compulsorily download quarantine watch app and Arogya Setu apps. During the quarantine period, they cannot come out of their homes. If they come out, geo fencing gives an alert and they get warned. In the second instance of violation, cases would be registered and strict steps would be taken for violation. In between if they display any symptoms of infection, they need to contact the medical officers, he stated.