Dakshina Kannada (DK) Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V said that there were no plans before the district administration to reopen temples in the district for the next two weeks.
Devotees from various parts of the state were travelling to Dharmasthala Temple, Kukke Subrahmanya temple and others assuming that they are open. “The district administration has directed police to seize such vehicles and book cases against them. Additional checkposts will be set up at Charmadi, Periyashanthi and other areas to prevent people from travelling to temples,” he told reporters during a Google meet.
The DC said the positivity rate in the district is fluctuating. It was 18 per cent before June 12 and had come down to 8.35 per cent. It stayed high on Saturday as a record number of 11,000 samples were tested but it is on a decline in the district. The positivity rate is fluctuating between 7 per cent to 9 per cent.
"We were conducting 2500 to 3000 tests per day. We conducted tests on samples of four days in one day on Friday. Hence, there was an increase in the number of positive cases," DC said. He urged people to adhere to lockdown norms and adopt Covid-appropriate behaviour.
In the past seven days, 59,818 samples were tested in Dakshina Kannada, the second-highest in Karnataka next to BBMP. “The district is taking all measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. We have been conducting target-oriented testing and we expect a reduction in the number of cases within a week,” he said.
On Unlock, the DC said that a decision will be taken only on June 21. “The government will make a decision with regard to 'Unlock'. It will be implemented in a phased manner based on the directions of the government,” he said. Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat CEO Kumar said that 17 gram panchayats with more than 50 active cases, which were sealed down, had registered a decline in fresh cases.
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