Despite increase in cases in Maharashtra, border districts in Karnataka control COVID-19

VIJAYAPURA: Though COVID-19 cases are surging in Maharashtra, the districts in Karnataka bordering the state are witnessing a dip in fresh cases. Kolhapur, Sangli and Solapur districts in Maharashtra - that share a border with Karnataka - are registering a daily positivity rate of above 3 per cent with an active caseload of over 5,000.

However, the positivity rate in the border districts of Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, and Bidar in Karnataka is less than 1 per cent, which is less than the state's positivity rate. While Belagavi has an active caseload of 435, the number is than 100 in the other border districts.

"In the last week of July, 334 cases were reported in Belagavi. In the first week of August, the cases reduced to 239. Similarly, 68 cases were reported in Kalaburagi in the last week of July and only 46 cases  in the first week of August. The districts, that share a border with Maharashtra, have a recovery rate of above 98 per cent," revealed data from the COVID-19 war room.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, Dr Shashikanth V Munnyal, Belagavi District Health Officer, said, "Migratory population and regular interstate travelers are the most vulnerable. We are monitoring such people by testing them once every two weeks. As the threat of third wave looms large, we are also increasing the pace of vaccination across the district, especially in border taluks. We have also set up screening camps in check posts along Goa and Maharashtra borders."

Meanwhile, urban areas in Kalaburagi, Bidar and Belagavi are seeing more cases compared to rural areas. The cumulative fatality rate due to the novel coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic in Vijayapura, Kalaburagi and Bidar is above the state’s overall fatality rate of 1.26 per cent.

In the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra and Kerala, the Karnataka government has imposed weekend curfew and tightened night curfew norms in the eight districts that share borders with the two states.

"Vijayapura district is seeing a dip in cases... but we are closely monitoring the situation. A team has also been constituted to identify frequent interstate travelers. Once they are identified, we will maintain a registry of such people and test them every week," Vijayapura Deputy Commissioner P Sunil Kumar told TNIE.

"In order to fight the third wave effectively, teams have also been formed at the grassroots levels. We are also ramping up health infrastructure across the district,” the DC added.