Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada Sindhu B. Rupesh said here on Wednesday that about 2,000 persons stranded abroad are expected to reach Mangaluru once the second phase of lockdown ended on May 3.
Speaking at a meeting chaired by Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada Kota Srinivasa Poojary to review the lockdown situation, she said that detailed guidelines are being worked out in consultation with the Indian Medical Association, Mangaluru, on how private medical practitioners should help the district administration in containing COVID-19.
Referring to the arrival of persons stranded abroad, Mr. Poojary said that passengers hailing from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi can be quarantined in Mangaluru, while other passengers, after screening, can be sent to their respective places for quarantine.
Ms. Rupesh said that the district administration needs four more days to send workers from North Karnataka back to their hometowns on special buses. About 4,000 workers from North Karnataka have been sent back from the district in the last few days. A majority of them remaining to be sent back are in Mangaluru taluk, she said.
Buses are being arranged from places where workers are staying.
A majority of these workers are from Bagalkot district. Each bus will carry about 22 workers and they will be allowed to board only after medical check-up. Their details are being sent to the Deputy Commissioners of the respective districts.
District in-charge Secretary V. Ponnuraj expressed concern over people under-reporting fever because of fear, during the first round of house-to-house survey by Accredited Social Health Activists.
“In the first round, we found only 174 cases of SARI (severe acute respiratory illness) and ILI (influenza like illness) cases. The second round of survey is under way now,” he said and called upon elected representatives to make people aware that COVID-19 infection will not lead to death.
