Udupi's bitter truth: It let guard down; makes amends now

From being a green zone on April 27, to reporting the highest number of COVID-19 positive cases, Udupi district has seen the extremes.

As on Monday, the district recorded 946 positive cases. As many as 672 patients infected with COVID-19 are being treated in six hospitals, including T M A Pai hospital in Udupi - the district’s COVID-19 designated hospital. The district, despite launching its surveillance activities as early as February 29, slipped from the green zone.

Among the 946 positive cases so far, a whopping 933 are cases from outside (98.7%). Among the 933 cases, 908 are returnees from Maharashtra (97%).

Udupi district incharge minister Basavaraj Bommai admitted that the government had erred and should have permitted residents from Maharashtra to travel to Udupi in batches. Udupi Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesh said, due to the exodus, the district witnessed the highest single day increase of 204 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. With 8,600 patients in institutional quarantine, it is a huge challenge for the district administration, struggling due to an acute staff shortage of health staff and lab personnel.

A Mumbai resident charged that the district administration’s apathy had spread the infection during institutional quarantine. Many among the 350 government buildings used as quarantine facilities did not have individual rooms and toilets, he said.

A few days ago, a patient from Uchila tested positive to COVID-19. Though the apartment where he was stayed was sealed down, the patient was shifted to a hospital in Udupi on the following day, due to unavailability of ambulance.

Jagadeesh said that there was no proof of infection spreading during the institutional quarantine. Many of the returnees did not practise hygienic practices or social distancing, he said.

Having achieved zero pendency in tests on Monday, the district is bracing itself for receiving the next batch of about 16,000 migrant workers. With majority of them being from Maharashtra, the district administration has identified 1,200 beds in addition to the existing 695 beds. Jagadeesh said there was no shortage of ventilators or personal protective equipments (PPEs).

That the frontline workers are working without PPEs was exposed when a lab technician working in a private hospital, his five-year-old son and a policeman posted at a checkpost testing positive. On Monday, the DC received directions from Bommai to disburse PPEs (2,745) to frontline workers. With the likely increase in cases, the MLAs from the district have favoured home quarantine as an ideal system to reduce burden on the health facilities.