The deep-rooted socio-cultural, religious, and economic bond the coastal districts share with Kasaragod in Kerala and Mumbai, Pune, and Nasik in Maharashtra has made the task of controlling the spread of COVID-19 again from those two States challenging.
The coastal district administrations are sulking under the revised orders/circulars of the government on the one hand and “interferences” by policy makers to relax norms on the other hand. Checks imposed last month by Dakshina Kannada on Kerala arrivals is currently before the court now, with the next hearing being adjourned till March 18.
When COVID-19 was spreading, Dakshina Kannada closed its borders with Kerala at 21 places last March. It began allowing entry from Kerala through four border roads (Talapady, Saradkka, Jalsoor, and Eshwaramangala) last month. But this invited protests of people at Talapady.
Responding to it, Deputy Chief Minister C. N. Ashwath Narayan said in Mangaluru on February 24 that he felt that the daily commuters from Kerala to Mangaluru should not be asked to produce COVID-19 negative certificates. Since then, sources in the Health Department told The Hindu that only random checks are being done at the four checkposts.
They said that the government allows all types of fairs, political rallies, events like Yakshagana and Kambala, with a rider on limiting the gathering of people. “Is it practically possible to control the crowd in such events,” the officer said, stating that a government circular on March 12 asked Dakshina Kannada to increase the daily sample tests to 3,000 and Udupi to 2,000 a day.
Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada K.V. Rajendra said, “The lengthy porous border with Kerala has made the checking of all those who come from Kerala challenging but not impossible.”
The department is in the process of conducting the tests for about 2,500 college students. It will be completed within next two or three days. Later, about 1,250 pre-university students will be tested, said H. Ashok, the nodal officer for COVID-19 in Dakshina Kannada.
Sudhir Chandra Sooda, District Health and Family Welfare Officer, Udupi said that the new cases in Udupi are on the rise after January especially from those arrived from Kerala and Maharashtra.
