This story is from June 4, 2020

Karnataka: Co-operation and co-ordination keep Chamarajanagar coronavirus free

Chamarajanagar district in southern Karnataka has not reported a single positive case of Covid-19 till date though it borders Kerala, which reported the country’s first case, and Tamil Nadu where the virus is raging.
Karnataka: Co-operation and co-ordination keep Chamarajanagar coronavirus free
Picture used for representational purpose only
BENGALURU: Chamarajanagar district in southern Karnataka has not reported a single positive case of Covid-19 till date though it borders Kerala, which reported the country’s first case, and Tamil Nadu where the virus is raging.
The district had its share of Tabligh Jamaat participants as well as international passengers returning home. Close to 3,000 suspected cases have been tested so far, and all have turned negative.
The success of Chamarajanagar is due to constant vigil from January itself, strict enforcement of home quarantine for all TN and Kerala returnees with help from villagers, and closure of interdistrict movement.
Chamarajanagar has also received requests of migrants from Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu wanting to come back home. The district has approved only emergency requests.
“We have requests from 900 people. We have approved 400 emergency cases, but only 97 have arrived so far. Close to 200 persons who had entered the district from other states bypassing the Seva Sindhu portal approval were traced by villagers and they were all quarantined,” district deputy commissioner MR Ravi told TOI.
The district has conducted door-to-door surveys to identify of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI): One in April and another in May.
C’nagar beefed up its 12 checkposts since January
In all, 443 SARI and ILI cases were identified and tested for Covid-19. None came positive. There were 53 employees of Nanjangud pharmaceutical company from Chamarajanagar. They were quarantined and none of them tested positive. That apart, two persons from our district attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi. We tested them and their 105 contacts and all were negative,” the DC said.

There is strict screening at all 12 checkposts of the district from January 31 after Kerala reported the country’s first Covid-19 case. “Kerala’s Wayanad depends on Gundlupet and Mysuru for vegetables. The checkposts have helped in aiding movement, but only with screening and checking. We have six interstate and six interdistrict checkposts. All trucks from Kerala were sanitized and the supply chain continued. Public followed lockdown carefully,” adds the deputy commissioner.
Chamarajnagar is self-sustained in terms of testing as it has an RT-PCR testing lab approved by ICMR at the district’s government medical college. “The district is ready with a 300-bed Covid-19 treatment facility, 24 ICU beds, and 11 ventilators. This is besides 150-bed institutional quarantine facility,” Dr MC Ravi, district health officer, Chamarajnagar, said.
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