In the wake of tourists still continuing to visit the coastal district of Uttara Kannada and as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the district, Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada Harish Kumar on Thursday issued an order banning the entry of tourists to the district.
In the order, the Deputy Commissioner has said that it had been observed from the information gathered from check-posts at entry points in the district that the number of tourists to the district had not reduced despite the COVID-19 threat and the appeals through media to the public to postpone their tour programmes.
He has said that as the visits continued, it had been found necessary to impose the ban on entry of tourists from other districts and from neighbouring States with immediate effect. The Deputy Commissioner has also directed the taluk officials to set up check-posts immediately in their respective jurisdiction to implement the ban.
The Deputy Commissioner has also imposed a ban on the entry of newcomers to the Tibetan colony at Mundagod in the district without requisite permission from the Mundagod tahsildar. In the order, Mr. Harish Kumar has said that those who had stayed away from the colony for long will have to compulsorily undergo home quarantine for 14 days.
Through the order, the Deputy Commissioner has also banned congregation of more than five persons in the colony.
He has said that those who had recently come into the colony should compulsorily undergo medical examination and those who want to go out of the colony, with the permission of the Tahsildar, would not be allowed to come back before a month.
Social reporting system
The Uttara Kannada district administration has also decided to start a “social reporting system “ in the taluk in the wake of the rising trend of non-disclosure of travel history by people.
In a release, Mr. Harish Kumar has said that helpline facilities will be set up in each taluk of the district to allow the citizens to bring to the notice of the administration about the non-disclosure of travel history .
The district administration will maintain secrecy about the identity of the callers, he has said.
He has said that this type of reporting will create pressure on those not reporting their travel history and will help the administration to impose a home quarantine on such people in the interest of public health.
