Health emergency clamped on Bhatkal town to enforce lockdown measures

Karwar: A health emergency has been clamped on Bhatkal town and nearby villages in northern Karnataka to enforce measures relating to the coronavirus lockdown.

The orders were issued by the deputy commissioner of Uttara Kannada district, Harish Kumar on Thursday evening, and came into immediate effect.
This may be the first incident of a health emergency being enforced in the Karnataka.

Harish Kumar said the emergency measures will operate in the Bhatkal Town Municipal Council limits, Jali Town Panchayat and also the gram panchayats of Shirali Hebale, Mavinkurve, Mundallli, Yalvadikavoor, and Muttalli.

Bhatkal is a small but important town in Uttaraka Kannada district. It is densely populated, having 10 percent of population of the entire district.

Also, of those who returned to the district from abroad in the past one month, about 40 percent are from Bhatkal.

Two persons from the town have tested positive and the results of tests on 56 others are awaited.

In declaring a health emergency, the district admin anticipates heightened risk in the coming days. "It is necessary to take effective measures to prevent the spread of Civic-19 across the district. There is a need for consistency in the application and implementation of various measures across the district while ensuring maintenance of essential services and supplies, including health infrastructure," the deputy commissioner said in the order.

Under a health emergency, the district administration will be able to take any step to curtail the spread of COVID-19 such as making the lockdown stricter and completely stopping all movement of the public.

The district administration will have the freedom to take measures such as purchasing materials and building or repairing infrastructure necessary to contain the epidemic.

The deputy commissioner said COVID-19 positive patients would be provided treatment at the Naval Hospital in Karwar, which has the required technology.