Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Jun 28: During the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, infection had spread far and wide even to remote rural areas of the district. After a number of preventive measures and restrictions were undertaken to control the disease, 24 gram panchayats in the district have become Covid-free.
As on June 1 this year, over 50 cases each were reported in 33 out of 155 gram panchayats in the district. Some of the gram panchayats had over 140 active cases. Now, the cases have gone down, and maximum active infections in any gram panchayat stands at 33. While 24 gram panchayats are completely Covid-free, 124 gram panchayats have les than ten active cases. The remaining seven gram panchayats have over ten cases each.
One of the areas in district sealed down (file photo)
Initially, the number of infected persons in rural areas went on increasing, even after taking preventive measures. On May 5, the district witnessed 1,654 new infections and Covid positivity rate reached 50. Thereafter the district administration decided to take strict steps. It decided to seal down the houses of infected families. From May 21 onwards, houses in villages where new infections were confirmed, were sealed down. Even in cases where the infected persons were in Covid care centres or hospitals, tapes were stuck so that people could identify the house of infected families. These measures brought down the number of new infections.
Another measure which gave quick results was the decision for total lockdown of gram panchayats. The district administration, with the support of the zilla panchayat and health department, totally locked down gram panchayats having more than 50 active Covid cases. The task forces formed at the gram panchayat level functioned effectively. As a result in phases, many panchayats freed themselves from the clutch of coronavirus infections.
Chief executive officer of the zilla panchayat, Dr Naveen Bhat, said that after gram panchayats with over 50 cases were locked down, the other gram panchayats took abundant care as a result of which infections came down drastically.