No way in, no way out: Locals block village roads

MYSURU: As the number of COVID-19 cases and home-quarantined people go up, villagers in several districts have taken measures to prevent the entry of people into villages. On Thursday, Mysuru recorded its third COVID-19 case.

Leaders and youth have come together to prevent the spread of the virus by announcing stringent measures to deter people from leaving their houses without valid reason, gathering in groups, and non-adherence to maintain physical distance.

In Haradanahalli village, Hassan district — JDS stalwart HD Deve Gowda’s hometown — people have barricaded roads to prevent entry of people into their village. Manjunath, a resident, said they want to protect their village from the infection by following government directions. He feared negligence would result in a major tragedy.

Chief of Honganur village, Chamarajnagar district, held a meeting and announced that fines of Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 will be imposed on people who gather in violation of physical distance norms. Checkposts have been put up at entry and exit points at Y K  Mole village to bar entry of even relatives or friends of residents. Youngsters are volunteering to make public appeals asking people to maintain physical distance and hygiene via loudspeakers.

Residents of Hanchya Sathagalli in Mysuru have also banned entry of people, including those from Bengaluru, without undergoing medical screening or taking any precautionary measures. They have also displayed sign boards on COVID-19 awareness.

Residents of Bogadi Stage-2 in Mysuru want the district administration to scrap its plans to convert a pre-matriculation girls’ hostel into an isolation centre for people suspected to have contracted COVID-19, claiming that a majority of them are senior citizens.