‘Confident that we’ll come out of this crisis’: Uttara Kannada DC Harish Kumar to TNM

On Tuesday, a fresh case of COVID-19 was reported in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, taking the total number of cases in the district to 8. Karnataka has reported over 100 cases in total till date, including the three deaths.

The first signs of trouble in Uttara Kannada district emerged on March 19, when a 22-year-old man from Bhatkal, arriving from Dubai, landed at the Mangaluru International Airport. After he was screened at the airport, a decision was taken to isolate him at the Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru. “In a discussion with the Dakshina Kannada district administration, I informed them to isolate the man in a government hospital,” Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Harish Kumar tells TNM.

He tested positive for coronavirus three days later on March 22. By then, protocols had been initiated in Uttara Kannada district to take precautions against the possible spread of the virus.

“Even though the first case in Uttara Kannada never set foot in the district after contracting the virus, we decided to initiate the protocols on the day the case emerged,” says Harish Kumar. Since then, eight people from Uttara Kannada have tested positive for COVID-19 including the family of a man who returned from Dubai via Mumbai. 

While seven patients are isolated at the naval hospital in Karwar, one patient is isolated in a hospital in Bhatkal.

In a conversation with TNM, the DC talks about the challenges facing the district and its preparedness against the spread of coronavirus.

Since Uttara Kannada district has many areas frequented by foreign tourists, what were the precautionary measures taken in the district?

Since the first few cases of coronavirus in India were known in February itself, we decided to survey the foreign citizens staying in the district. We found that there are more than 500 foreign citizens staying here and this is due to popular tourist spots like Gokarna and Mundgod, and the proximity of the district to Goa. We conducted door to door surveys to collect information about foreign citizens starting March 7 itself.

In Gokarna, even though there is a significant number of foreign citizens, they are not recent travellers and were here for the last 2-3 months. Even in Mundgod, the population of Tibetan refugees had travelled within the country up to Dharamshala and not to Tibet. 

What about Indian residents who had recently returned from abroad?

We enlisted ASHA workers and anganwadi teachers to collect information about residents in the district who had returned from a foreign country. We were able to find as many as 1,500 people through this method and we asked each of them to strictly be at home.

What about providing protective equipment fr ASHA workers?

They were provided with masks but it has run out and we need to replace them. Since ASHA workers are collecting information, they have been asked to maintain sufficient distance while speaking to people.  

An ASHA worker collects information from a resident in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.

What was the reaction after the first case emerged on March 22?

It was not a surprise to us. We had informed the Dakshina Kannada DC to isolate this person when he arrived on March 19 at the Mangaluru International Airport. Even though the first positive case in Uttara Kannada never set foot in the district after contracting the virus, we decided to initiate the protocols on the day the case emerged  

Has any area been identified as a containment zone?

We have identified a cluster in Bhatkal. The population density here is high and there are many foreign-returned residents. In this place, everything is seen with the lens of a communal angle, but so far we are managing the situation. We have imposed a health emergency in Bhatkal and imposed stringent lockdown measures. We have initiated doorstep delivery of essentials and healthcare facilities and we have also set up helpline members for the public to call the control room. The helpline numbers are - 1077 and 08382-229857. 

Helpline numbers for towns in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka.

What about the migrant workforce in the district? 

We have managed to convince employers to shelter their workforce for now. There were issues when migrant workers from north Karnataka working in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada tried to travel through our district. We have managed to stop and shelter most of them in Udupi itself while a few are staying in government hostels in our district. 

There were reports of people crowding at the Goa border since it was sealed. Uttara Kannada has many workers, especially fishermen, who work in Goa. Did this cause an issue?

Yes, there was an issue of workers in Goa returning to their homes in our district. At this time, they wanted to stay at home and did not make use of the facilities provided by the Goa government. We are in constant touch with the administration in Goa to ensure that there is no further movement of people. 

You are not only fighting the spread of coronavirus but also fighting against the spread of fake news and rumours reported about the disease. There was a report which falsely claimed Muslim youths in Karnataka refuse coronavirus testing for “religious reasons.” How are you managing this situation?

We immediately clarified that there was no such incident of people refusing to be tested for religious reasons in the district as reported by Public TV on March 14. It was the anchor who made the mistake in this case. There was another news item reported that a person who was quarantined in a government hospital had escaped. This is false and the person came with a complaint of sore throat but he was checked and the doctor had decided that it was not related to coronavirus. 

District officials in Uttara Kannada conducting a meeting.

Are there any more steps planned?

District administrations are worried about arranging basic infrastructure and facilities to people because they are distressed. But we should keep in mind that this is a public health issue. We need to monitor people with fever symptoms and carry out drives to periodically keep a check on people who have returned to the district from abroad. Anyone reporting symptoms will be checked at fever clinics set up in the district. 

What about the lockdown measures implemented in the district? 

Over the next two weeks, we will be able to ascertain whether the lockdown needs to continue. In Bhatkal, we will continue to maintain strict vigil. We are confident that we will come out of this crisis.