Minister in-charge of Udupi district V. Sunil Kumar on Thursday asked the administration to make all efforts to bring down the test positivity rate to below 1% from the current 1.4%.
Chairing a meeting on COVID-19 control and selecting gram panchayats under Amrut Gram Panchayat Yojana in Udupi, the Minister said that at least 8,000 swab samples should be tested in the district daily.
Mr. Kumar, who holds the portfolios of Energy and Kannada and Culture, said that five gram panchayats should be selected daily for vaccinating targeted people completely. The Health Department should make all efforts to vaccinate first dose to all eligible people in the district by this month end.
He instructed Deputy Commissioner M. Kurma Rao to ensure that the medical oxygen manufacturing units being constructed in taluks are commissioned within the next 10 days.
The Minister said that students who have arrived from Kerala could be subjected to another swab test as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The Minister said that 18 gram panchayats have been selected under Amrut Gram Panchayat Yojana for integrated infrastructure development works in their jurisdiction to commemorate the 75th year of Independence.
Some of the projects proposed comprised rejuvenating the water bodies, harnessing solar power, building gardens, installing street lights, providing drinking water connection, building solid waste segregation units, and digitising libraries. Such panchayats which implemented the projects taken up effectively will get ₹25 lakh grant from the government.
Udupi MLA K. Raghupati Bhat, Kaup MLA Lalaji R. Mendon spoke. Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat Y. Naveen Bhat participated.
