Mysuru readies to receive 2,500 foreign returnees

• District Administration takes over 170 hotels for quarantining
• Foreign travellers will have to foot their own hotel bills

Mysore/Mysuru: More than 11,000 residents of Karnataka stranded in foreign countries are set to arrive by special international flights under Vande Bharat Mission and the Mysuru District Administration has taken measures to receive the natives of Mysuru, numbering over an estimated 2,500. The administration has hired over 170 hotels inside Mysuru city to quarantine the returnees.

These returnees have registered their names and other details in the Indian Embassies and Consulates in the countries they have been stranded since Mar. 23 and they will arrive at Bengaluru and Mangaluru airports and the sea ports at Karwar and Mangaluru. 

Officials have chalked out an elaborate plan of action to prevent a possible spurt in COVID-19 cases in Mysuru at a time when only four active cases are being treated at the COVID-19 Hospital on KRS Road.

The hotels under various categories have been taken over by the District Administration with the consent of the respective hotel managements and the cleaning, sanitisation process have begun and kept ready for returnees. These natives of Mysuru will arrive by road from Bengaluru, Mangaluru or Karwar and will be accommodated in the 170 hotels. They have to foot the hotel bills including food and accommodation.

Hotels earmarked for passengers have been asked to have round-the-clock presence of health personnel. They will be monitored by health staff and at least three rooms in such hotels will be reserved for health staff for setting up 24×7 clinics.

Symptomatic and asymptomatic travellers

Arrangements for the screening and quarantine of international passengers have been made in Mysuru and returnees will be divided into two categories — symptomatic travellers and asymptomatic travellers —- after a screening process. 

District officials told ‘Star of Mysore’ that as per the Standard Operating Procedure, those who are symptomatic, will be sent to the designated Government Hospital where they will be isolated and tested three times over a period of 14 days. There will be a reporting mechanism for them for 14 more days. Those who are asymptomatic will be sent to hotels where they will be tested twice over a period of 7 days.

If the test results of asymptomatic persons return negative, they will be sent to home quarantine. The passengers will bear the costs of their stay in the hotel, officials said. Those who test negative but show symptoms will be kept at the hotel and be tested again and on the 12th day if they test positive, they will be shifted to the designated hospital and treated accordingly, the officials added.

Mysuru DC Abhiram G. Sankar has said that till yesterday, as many as 215 persons from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have entered Mysuru. They have been quarantined in community halls. “If they can afford to pay the bills, they will be accommodated in hotels. Community halls and hotels have been identified in all taluks for quarantine as the number of people coming in is expected to increase over the next week. We are also vigilant and prepared to handle those returning from foreign nations,” he said.

Minister writes to DC

Mysuru District Minister S.T. Somashekar has written to DC Abhiram Sankar appreciating the administration’s efforts to prevent the spread of the killer disease and has hailed the role of all Corona Warriors including Police, doctors, healthcare workers, ASHA workers and officials. “Because of your efforts, the positive cases have come down from 90 to 4 and soon, all the 4 will be discharged,” the Minister said. 

On the returnees from abroad, Somashekar asked the DC to mandatorily put all of them in 14-day quarantine and take special care of women, children and the elderly.

DC responds

Responding to the Minister’s letter, the DC has said, “The District Administration and all Department staff and officers are grateful to the Minister and the Government, for the continuing support and encouragement. We will all work as a team as before, and put in our best efforts to control the spread of COVID-19.”