The Kasaragod district administration has closed down the additional help desk opened to register Keralites, who reached Talapady check post at the Kerala-Karnataka border from other states, without prior registration in the approved government websites.
The district administration had opened about 100 help desk including one for those who arrive here without registration. However, over the past three days, the number of people arriving at the check post without registration saw a surge. This created uncertainty and panic among the officials of the district administration as many of them were arriving from the districts that were categorized under the red zone in other states.
In the wake of this, the District Collector D. Sajith Babu ordered on Saturday not to issue passes to Keralites isolated in other states without prior permission of the government. The collector said thought it was decided that the passes would be given based on the priority list set by the government, it was noticed that many unregistered people arrived at the check post with the groups who had already registered through the website.
The Collector said this was unnecessarily taking the time of officials and others. Hence it is decided not to allow anyone crossing the borders without registration, he added.
“We were having problems handling these people as many of them were arriving from the red zone in Bangalore, Mumbai and Gujarat,” said a senior revenue official, on conditions of anonymity.
The help desk allowed people to register after their arrival at the check post. They waited here for long hours. It was turning difficult for administration as well since the arrangements had to be made for them.
A T Manoj, District Surveillance Officer, observed that the decision to stop people trying to enter without registration from other states has come on right time.
“There is every possibility of another outbreak if people are allowed to enter into the state without proper check,” he said. Several people have arrived here and they were allowed to enter in the past few days. They were also accommodated in the places arranged by the district administration, he pointed.
The doctors and staff of the health department have succeeded in treating patients and the district is now left with just one positive patient. But the numbers can increase again if proper steps are not taken to screen the people before allowing them passes, he warned.
