Dakshina Kannada district fares well in war against Covid-19

MANGALURU: Dakshina Kannada district has bettered its position in the worst-hit urban areas list published in the latest Covid-19 Positive Analysis of Karnataka report. As per the latest analysis, only one out of the 20 worst-hit urban areas of Karnataka is in Dakshina Kannada.

As on June 22, six of the top 20 worst-hit urban areas in the state were in Dakshina Kannada. However, in the latest Coivd-19 Positive Analysis of Karnataka report published on Thursday, only one out of 20 worst-hit towns in the state is in the coastal district. Only Moodabidri town has found a place in the list of the worst-hit towns, in the analysis published by the Karnataka state Covid-19 war room. In fact, Moodbidri town was added to the list of 20 worst-hit urban areas, as it has reported 46 positive cases of Covid-19 in the past one week. However, the number is negligible compared to Krishnarajanagar town in Mysuru, where 169 cases were reported in one week. Similarly, Madikeri town in Kodagu district has reported 116 cases in the past one week, and has found a place in the worst-hit urban areas list.
Dakshina Kannada has also fared well when it comes to controlling the spread of the disease in villages. The number of worst-hit villages from Dakshina Kannada reduced from 10 to five in the list of 20 top rural areas hit worst by the disease, according to the latest Covid-19 Positive Analysis of Karnataka.
Dr Ashok H, Dakshina Kannada district nodal officer for Covid-19, told TOI that the health department led by DHO Dr Kishore Kumar M has been keeping a tab on all areas, where cases are reported. "The district has been witnessing a drastic fall in the number of cases with a positivity rate below 4% at present. We have been concentrating more on areas bordering Kerala in the district. We have made surveillance at the Kasaragod-Dakshina Kannada border entry points stricter. I along with the DHO have visited all major border entry points in Mangaluru, Bantwal and Sullia taluks. All the vehicles are being checked, and RT-PCR tests have been conducted for those who are coming here from Kasaragod district," he said.
In addition, he said that the district is also giving emphasis to ring surveillance, where all the primary and secondary contacts of a person who tests positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus are made to undergo tests compulsorily. "All taluk health officials have been instructed to monitor borders strictly, and also keep a tab on areas where positive cases are reported. Cases will reduce further in the district in a few days," Dr Ashok said.