The district administration in Kodagu has been told to be on alert and take necessary precautions over the COVID-19 scare in neighboring Kerala where a sub-strain of the virus has been reportedly detected. The sub-variant JN.1 has been reportedly discovered in a patient’s sample in Kerala.
As the district shares its border with Kerala, with the regular movement of people to the hill district, Minister in charge of Kodagu district N.S. Boseraju has told the district administration to step up vigil on the border. He telephoned the senior officials, including the deputy commissioner and the Superintendent of Police, here to check the steps taken in this regard.
The Minister has directed the district health authorities to check the preparedness and prepare the department for handling any kind of a situation, arising out of the new scare. “Start taking the precautions amidst the scare,” the Minister said, directing the health department to step up the watch at the check posts.
He also told the authorities that the measures that are going to be taken in view of the new scare should not cause any inconvenience to the public.
If COVID-19 cases are reported, take steps accordingly and treat the patients, taking all necessary precautions as per the protocol, the Minister said.
The Minister said there is a likelihood of tourists from Kerala visiting Kodagu for the year-end holidays and New Year celebrations. In view of this, the steps have to be taken accordingly with all the precautionary measures in place, the Minister told the deputy commissioner.
In 2020 and 2021, Kodagu remained a high-risk district as it shared its border with Kerala where COVID-19 cases had soared. The villages close to the border in Kodagu had been identified for vaccination on priority as a measure to fight the spread. The villages located in a radius of 20 km from the border had been in focus and the eligible populations had been vaccinated as a step to contain cross-border transmission. The government kept a close watch on Kodagu as it was among the focus districts in the State because of its proximity to Kerala which was a COVID-19 hotspot.
Whenever there is a COVID-19 or Nipah scare in Kerala, health authorities used to be on alert in the border districts of Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and Mysuru as they are frequented by tourists from the neighbouring State.
