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UDUPI: Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Member of Parliament Shobha Karandlaje on Monday directed the Udupi district administration to compulsorily check RT-PCR negative reports of travellers coming from Kerala and Maharashtra to Udupi. This she said is important to check the spread of ‘mutated’ coronavirus from spreading in the district. At the same time, the administration should also be ready to tackle a second Covid-19 wave, she said.

Chairing the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting here, the MP said hospitals and facilities previously identified to handle Covid-19 cases must be kept in readiness to tackle any coronavirus related exigency in the district. Awareness should be created among people on the need to wear masks and maintain social distance at public functions, she said adding any RT-PCR certificate should not be prior to 72-hrs.

Deputy Commissioner G Jagadeesha said as on date, district health authorities have tested 3.59-lakh samples for coronavirus and 3.35-lakh samples have tested negative. The district has reported 189 deaths out of 23538 who tested positive. The case fatality ratio in the district despite the aforementioned positive cases is the least in the state, he said, lauding the efforts of the health department officials for keeping up the vigil against the pandemic.

The MP also lauded the authorities for creating 51200 man-hours of work under MGNREG scheme against a target of 51000 man hours. She instructed the officials to sensitize the newly elected gram panchayat members on possible works they could undertake under MGNREG scheme. Focus should be on desilting storm water drains and tanks so that it will help in retaining water during the monsoon and increase the water table, she said.

All works pertaining to roads and drinking water supply should be completed ahead of the South West monsoon. The administration should identify villages where water should be supplied in tankers during the summer beforehand, she said. All centrally sponsored schemes should be implemented in a time bound manner, the MP said. Minister Kota Shrinivas Poojari, MLAs K Raghupathi Bhat, Lalaji Mendon and officials were present.