Madikeri: Fourteen more COVID-19 positive cases have been reported from Kodagu this morning. With this, the number of positive cases in the district has risen to 92.

Ten patients have been cured and discharged from Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences, the designated COVID Hospital at Madikeri. There are 82 active cases and one death has been reported so far. In all, 36 containment zones have been declared in the district.

Today’s positive cases are 23-year-old female, (Influenza-like Illness – ILI) from Harishchandrapura in Gonikoppal, 50-year-old male healthcare worker from Netaji Layout in Gonikoppal, 54-year-old male driver of healthcare worker from Thithimathi, 50-year-old male ILI case from Karike in Madikeri taluk, three cases of 56-year-old male, 36-year-old female and 12-year-old female from same family with history of travel from Bengaluru and native of Perumbadi village near Virajpet, three cases of 39-year-old female, 38-year-old male and 18-year-old male who are primary contact of positive healthcare worker from staff quarters in Madikeri.

Also, a 17-year-old male who was operated for appendectomy at Ashwini Hospital and a native of Periyapatna, 11-year-old male, primary contact of positive case from Balagunda Somwarpet taluk, 34-year-old female, a case of ILI from Srimangala, and a 29-year-old male, a case of ILI from Karike Madikeri taluk have tested positive.

Following the recent spike in the cases, Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy has closed all hotels, lodges and home stays. Though the Kodagu Hotel Association and Kodagu Home Stay Association had voluntarily closed down operations, many home stays, resorts and lodges operated and claimed that they were not part of the Association decision and the rule did not apply to them.

The District Administration had been criticised for not closing down resorts, hotels and home stays despite rising COVID-19 positive cases. Now the DC has officially issued an order closing them immediately until further notice.

In her order issued this morning, the DC has stated that all resorts, hotels, service apartments, residential hostels and home stays must desist from giving accommodation to people outside the district and this includes businessmen and tourists.

Those who have already arrived at accommodation places must not be forcibly vacated and they must be allowed to stay till the date of booking. But the dates must not be extended, the order stated. Those guests who have booked accommodation and have not come must be asked to cancel their bookings, the order stated.