As many as 13 additional check-posts have come up in Dakshina Kannada to conduct random screening of people coming from Kerala where the number of COVID-19 cases is high. With this, the government has set up a total of 18 check-posts to screen people coming from Kerala.
The additional check-posts have been set up following a virtual meeting which Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai held on Monday evening with Inspectors-General of Police, Deputy Commissioners, District Health and Family Welfare Officers and Deputy Commissioners of Police from areas bordering Maharashtra and Kerala. The police were asked to set up additional check-posts in association with health care staff.
Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Hariram Shankar said that apart from Talapady, additional check-posts have been set up at Nethilapadavu, Thoudugoli, Nandhara Padapu, Narya Cross and Mudungarukatte.
These five additional check-posts on the interior roads connecting Kasaragod started functioning on Tuesday and they fall under Ullal and Konaje police limits of Mangaluru City Police.
A check-post each have also been set up at the Mangaluru Central and Mangaluru Junction railway stations, he said.
While round-the-clock screening is being carried out at Talapady and at the two railway stations, screening is being taken up only during the day time at the five check-posts on interior roads. People coming from Kerala will be checked for RT-PCR negative report or certificate of vaccination, Mr. Shankar said.
Similarly, Dakshina Kannada Police have set up check-posts at Saradka, Salethur and Kankayana under Vitla Police limits, Menala, Swarga and Sullia Padavu in Puttur Rural Police limits and Mooruru, Mandekolu, Baddadka and Kannadithodu in Sullia Police limits.
Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Sonawane said that while four check-posts were already functioning, six new check-posts started working on Tuesday.
Mr. Shankar said that as the Supreme Court has barred restrictions on inter-State movement, the district administration is using the available personnel to randomly screen people. Screening will continue for another fortnight.
He said that the district administration is considering issuing passes to regular travellers between Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod districts for a period of 14 days from the day the traveller gets his RT-PCR negative certificate. Regular travellers have been told to get COVID-19 negative certificate every fortnight.
Mr. Shankar said that screening will not cause inconvenience to the 400 Class 10 students from Kerala who will write the SSLC examination in centres in Dakshina Kannada on July 19 and 22.
