Karnataka: Mandya, Hassan districts fear migrants sneaking in

MANDYA: With many migrants coming into Mandya and Hassan districts from Maharashtra, there is growing concern about community transmission.
Mandya district recorded eight fresh Covid-19 cases on Wednesday taking the tally to 168. Neighbouring Hassan reported 21 cases, majority from Mumbai.
The Hassan administration is trying to track migrant workers who may have sneaked into the district.Many fear that unaccounted-for migrants have not reported for mandatory quarantine.
“Till Wednesday, 1,500 migrants from Maharastra arrived in Mandya and throat swab test results of 900 were received. We’re sending every migrant from Maharastra into mandatory quarantine,” said an officer.
Almost 80 per cent of 168 positive cases are Maharashtra migrants. The fact that almost all migrants are testing positive and many remain untraceable is worrying. “We fear community transmission may already be under way in KR Pete and Nagamangala taluks through migrants. We may have to seal both these taluks soon if there’s a major outbreak,” said a senior officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, of the 21 cases reported in Hassan district, 16 are from Channarayapatna taluk, two from Holenarsipur and three from Hassan. Most returned on May 14. Around 60 test results are awaited. Around 15 co-passengers of the Channarayapatna cases travelled to KR Pet. Part of Channarayapatna taluk shares a border with KR Pet and Nagamangala taluk of Mandya.
In Hassan city, on May 17, a 42-year-old daily wage worker who came from Chennai has ben home quarantined. He and his wife both tested positive. Health officers are checking whether the couple moved around in the city over the past two days, said DHO Dr Sathish.
In another case, a 36-year-old man came from Andheri, Maharashtra to Hassan on May 16. He reached Vijayapura on a motorcycle where he was quarantined in a school for a day. His brother from Hassan went in a car to bring him. On reaching Hassan, his brother fled after leaving him brother near a quarantine centre. Now, health authorities have quarantined the migrant and his primary contacts. Belur health authorities are busy tracing primary and secondary contacts of a doctor from Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru. As Belur taluk is adjacent to Mudigere, some people from Belur villages had gone to the the doctor who works at the primary health centre.
“A family from Tamil Nadu works on a plantation in Chunganahalli, Belur taluk, went to the doctor a few days ago to get a health certificate to go home. All 13 members of the family have now been quarantined,” said DC R Girish.