The district administration has allayed fears over COVID-19 and clarified that so far, there have been no cases of people testing positive in Mysuru.
Speaking to presspersons in the city on Friday, Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar said there was no need to panic over COVID-19. He said that as per the guidelines announced by the Health Ministry, a mechanism was in place to screen and isolate individuals displaying symptoms.
He said precautionary measures were in place and an awareness drive has been launched to spread information on COVID-19 and the simple measures that one needs to take to avoid contracting it. He said people who have travelled abroad in recent weeks and returned have been screened, while individuals with symptoms such as headache, fever, and infection in the eye, mouth or nose were advised to get themselves medically examined. The authorities have created an isolation ward at K.R. Hospital and at the Centre for Epidemic Disease. They have also advised the public against wearing face masks unnecessarily.
The Health Department is carrying out public awareness drives on COVID-19 and information leaflets and brochures containing certain guidelines have been distributed, besides being prominently displayed in public places, including the city bus stand and the railway station.
District Health Officer Venkatesh said all precautionary measures were in place and teams constituted for screening and monitoring. He said international tourists or delegates were being casually questioned about their place of origin, while the special teams constituted to screen people in the border areas with Tamil Nadu and Kerala continue to be stationed. The team in Bavli village, where a river constitutes the border with Kerala, is monitoring the situation and subjecting people to random checks, and so far no one has tested positive.
He said certain simple measures such as maintaining good hygiene, washing hands with sanitizer or soap, avoiding crowded places, and maintaining a safe distance from people suffering from cough or tending to sneeze would go a long way in minimising the chance of being infected.
