Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)

Udupi, May 31: The district in charge and home minister Basavaraj Bommai has asked the officials of the district administration to make necessary arrangements in order to face the third wave of coronavirus. He directed the concerned to arrange separate wards for children and set up paediatric ventilators in the hospitals. Bommai also conducted a review meeting about the Covid management via video conference on Monday, May 31.

“Order complete lockdown for five days from Wednesday to Sunday in gram panchayat limits where the Covid positive cases are more than 50 to bring down the positivity rate. Allow a day's time for purchase of essential items before announcing complete lockdown,” the minister said.

“There are more than 50 Covid cases in each of the 35 gram panchayats at present. Those gram panchayats will go under complete lockdown from Wednesday to Sunday. Only medical shops and agricultural activities will be permitted during this period. The borders of these panchayats will be closed and barricades will be placed,” said deputy commissioner G Jagadeesh. “Lockdowns for other gram panchayats will be ordered on the basis of daily Covid reports,” he added. 

Minister Bommai directed the officials to ramp up the number of Covid tests and further asked for quicker preparation of the reports so that the infected can be treated sooner and the spread of the virus can be controlled. “The primary contacts of the infected should be subjected to RT-PCR tests,” he said.

“The medicines for black fungus will be supplied soon. Install oxygen concentrators at Covid centres, make sure that patients do not face dearth in availability of ventilators and focus on reducing the mortalities,” the minister said.

DC Jagadeesh also requested the minister to allow the assignment of final year medical students in Covid duty.

MLA Raghupathi Bhat, Sunil Kumar, Lalaji R Mendon, Coastal Development Authority president, Mattar Ratnakar Hegde, district panchayat CEO, Dr Navin Bhat, ASP Kumar Chandra, additional DC, Sadashiva Prabhu, Kundapur sub-divisional officer, Raju, DHO Dr Nagabhooshan Udupa, district surgeon, Dr Madhusoodan Nayak, Covid nodal officer, Dr Prashanth Bhat and various department officials were present.