KASARGOD: The district administration on Friday made the COVID negative certificate mandatory for those coming to the district from other states. The decision has been taken by the Corona Core Committee headed by district collector D Sajith Babu.
The order flies in the face of the COVID-19 statistics. According to official data, 91% of the COVID cases reported in the district are contracted through local transmissions. This includes the early days of the pandemic in the district. Of late, almost all the cases are through local transmissions.
In the past five days, 652 COVID cases were reported in Kasaragod, of which only nine were from other states. That is, only 1% of the COVID cases in the district are from other states. Yet, the Corona Core Committee decided to set up check posts at 17 border points, where teachers and officials from the departments of Revenue, Health, and Police will be deployed to monitor those coming from other states.
In a statement, the collector said antigen testing facility will be available at five border points: Thalapady, on Aduksthala-Adiyanadka road, on Adhur-Kottiyadi-Sulliya State Highway, on Panathur-Chemberi-Madikeri Road, and on Manimoola-Sulliya Road.
If travellers coming into the district through these points do not have COVID negative certificates, they will have to undergo antigen tests. The testing centres will be open between 6 am and 6 pm.
Night travellers will have to carry no-COVID certificates.
Other 12 border points
Travellers coming to the state through 12 other border points will have to mandatorily possess COVID negative certificates, the core committee decided. The border points are on Thuminad road, Kedampadypadav road, Tungadakatta-Mudippu road, Kurudapadav road, Muligadde road, Deripadav road, Swarga-Arlapadav road, Kottiyadi-Pallathur- Eshwaramangala road, Kottiyadi-Adoor-Devaraduka road, Galimugha-Eshwaramangala-Delampady road, Nattakal-Sulliyapadav road and Chenamkundu-Chamakochi road.
No certificate for hospital visits
COVID negative certificates will not be required for those visiting hospitals in Dakshina Kannada and returning the same day. Daily commuters to the district will also not require the certificate or undergo an antigen test, the core committee decided.
Other state travellers visiting panchayats bordering Karnataka need not possess COVID negative certificate or undergo antigen tests, the committee decided. But the panchayats concerned should ensure they do not proceed to other parts of the district.
Rules for Govt Employees
Government employees cannot take leave to go into quarantine without the permission of the District Medical Officer, said the collector. Action will be taken against employees who take leave to stay in quarantine without DMO's permission, he said.
The department heads need not grant the employees special casual leaves, he said. The employees should be granted leave they are entitled to, he said. Permission for quarantine will be granted only if the employees come in direct contact with an infected person.
Direct contact is defined as being within 1.5m of an infected patient without a mask for more than 15 minutes, an official statement said. Such behaviour on the part of a government employee would attract punishment, said the same statement.