Mandya: With the district reporting a  sudden spurt in Corona cases which is attributed to devotees returning to the district after visiting Om Shakti temple in Tamil Nadu which has turned out into a COVID hotspot of late, the Mandya District Administration has banned the district devotees from visiting the Tamil Nadu temple.

Speaking to presspersons after holding a meeting with officials at her office here on Thursday, Mandya Deputy Commissioner S. Aswathi said that in the wake of exponentially rising COVID cases in the district, the KSRTC authorities have been directed to stop plying buses to tourist spots and pilgrimage centres in other States and other districts in Karnataka as a precautionary measure.

Pointing out that Tahsildars and other officials have been asked to submit a list of devotees who have already left for Tamil Nadu’s Om Shakti temple and other tourist and religious places, she said following reports that the devotees have left in private buses too, the RTO has been asked to provide details of private tourist buses.

Aswathi further said that the RTO has also been instructed not to allow private buses to carry tourists to other States for now, in the wake of the pandemic.

Pointing out that the district administration has information that more than 3,000 people from Mandya have left for Tamil Nadu’s Om Shakti temple, the DC said that all those returning from the tour will be tested for the virus and mandatorily sent for  home quarantine, even though they test negative.

Continuing, she said that all efforts are being made to ensure that there is no shortage of                                                 beds in case of any eventuality.

Noting that a COVID Care Centre will be set up at all taluks of the district, Aswathi said that all Shopping Malls and other such business places have been asked to allow only such people who have received two doses of vaccine. The officials have also been asked to strictly enforce COVID appropriate behaviour by people at all places, the Mandya DC added.

Additional DC Shylaja, DHO Dr. Dhananjaya, Zilla Panchayat CEO Divya Prabhu and other officials were present at the meeting.