Covid-19: ‘We are running in a marathon,’ says Kodagu DC

"Nobody has a clue on how and when the Covid-19 will come to an end. We are running in a marathon where one cannot rest after covering two kilometres and should continue the race,” said Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy.

“Currently, Kodagu district has two active cases. Even though Kodagu has fewer cases when compared to other districts, we cannot afford to be carefree,” she said.

The DC said she has been in the district from the last one year and four months. The officials of various departments in Kodagu have been working in coordination, may it be during the flood situation or Covid-19.

The first case of Covid-19 in the district was confirmed on March 18. Since then, guidelines were strictly enforced so as to prevent the outbreak of the virus. Initially, Kondangeri was declared as a containment area, the DC said and recalled that people in the area were cooperative.

Currently, there are ventilators sufficient for 170 people at a time in the district Covid-19 hospital.

Also, a private hospital has been taken over by the district administration to provide treatment for non-Covid patients. A laboratory has been set up in Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). Earlier, the samples were sent to the laboratory in Mysuru. Currently, the lab at KIMS is operating round-the-clock, she said.

As the rainy season has started, the people affected by rain-related incidents cannot be accommodated in the relief centres in large numbers. Therefore, the district administration has identified hostels and residential schools for setting up relief centres. If the need arises, hotels and lodges will be taken over by the district administration, said the DC.

Answering a query, Annies said that employees from other departments were being deputed to the health department as there was a shortage of staff.