MYSURU: Mysuru, the cultural capital of Karnataka, is famous internationally for its grand Dasara festival. Today it is best known as the centre of the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, with empty streets and an eerie atmosphere all round it. Hardly any vehicle on the roads and people confined in their homes. In fact, the district is now earning the dubious distinction of a ‘COVID region’, pushing it into a quarantine. With five fresh cases, including that of an eight-year-old boy, on Friday, taking the tally to 41, people are on the edge.
It is like an island with its borders sealed. The neighbouring Chamarajnagar, which has no cases, and Kodagu, where the situation is under control, have taken stringent measures to stop people from Mysuru entering their districts. People of Mysuru district are seen with fear and suspicion. As the number of positive cases is swelling, police and health department officials have refused to entertain requests, barring cases of medical emergency by conducting primary check-up by paramedical staff at checkposts.
The lockdown, coupled with fear about the coronavirus’ rapid spread, is making the district, with a population of 30 lakh, into a ghost region. It is hard to imagine the panic and frustration of the people threatened by the virus. Scenes of chaos and despair are emerging daily from Mysuru taluk and Nanjangud, the epicentre of the infection in the district. The five new cases on Friday are all family members of one of the employees of a pharmaceutical firm in Nanjangud who had tested positive.
When Karnataka’s Patient 52 tested positive with no history of foreign travel, it left the authorities puzzled. He worked at the Jubilant Life Sciences firm in Nanjangud. Subsequently, 10 of his colleagues too tested positive. This was the first cluster outbreak in Karnataka.
With 30 cases, Mysuru turns COVID hotspot
Although the first patient of the pharma company was discharged on Friday, the rise in numbers has turned out to be a concern as infection is within families of the employees. The district that has closed inter-state borders and inter-district borders has also put 1,500 employees of the company in home quarantine to contain the virus.
The district that was breathing easy with just three cases initially, turned into a hot spot with over 30 cases from the pharma company, and eight of those who attended the religious meet at Nizamuddin, New Delhi. Police have clamped lockdown orders from 6 pm to 6 am. They have also seized vehicles, registered cases and caned violators. Cops have used drones in many localities in Udayagiri police station limits.
The police have also sealed two wards in Nanjangud town and will decide on extending it to other wards and also to Mysuru, said district Minister S T Somashekar. This also added to the rumours that the district administration has planned to seal the city for a few more days. MP Prathap Simha said that a probe is on to know the reason behind the outbreak in the pharmaceutical factory.