Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil has said that people reaching the district by road or train from Kerala and Maharashtra should compulsorily carry with them a negative RT-PCR report to gain entry into the district.
Chairing a meeting of the health taskforce in Dharwad on Wednesday, Mr. Nitesh Patil said that following reports of surge in COVID-19 cases in Kerala and Maharashtra, special teams had been formed to keep vigil on those arriving from other States.
Mr. Patil said that to keep a watch on those arriving from Kerala and Maharashtra special teams headed by Assistant Commissioners of Police, Deputy Superintendents of Police, and zonal-level municipal officials had been formed in Hubballi and Dharwad.
The Deputy Commissioner warned of criminal cases against transporters if it was found that they had ferried passengers without RT-PCR negative reports.
Private bus operators too had been asked to be careful while ferrying passengers from Kerala and Maharashtra and if any violation was found, the buses would be seized.
He said that as a precautionary measure, mobile swab collection vans had been stationed at bus stands and railway stations to collect swabs of all those travelling to other places. Checkposts will also be set up check vehicles passing through the district, he said.
This apart, the district administration will also be deploying special teams at railway stations, the airport, and bus terminals in Hubballi and Dharwad to monitor the movement of passengers. He also said that people found not wearing masks would be penalised.
During the meeting, Mr. Patil directed Municipal Commissioner Suresh Itnal to constitute teams of marshals to oversee arrangements at marriages and public gatherings and to ensure to wearing of masks and physical distancing. Those violating guidelines would be penalised and criminal cases should be registered, he said.
The municipal corporation had so far imposed fine of ₹21.66 lakh from those not wearing masks and collected ₹1.55 lakh as penalty from organisers for not ensuring physical distancing, Mr. Itnal added.
