As Kerala’s Kannur district registered a second case of monkey pox, Karnataka has ordered strict health checks at all points of entry in districts bordering the neighbouring state.

Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Sudhakar K tweeted out the order that requires all district administrations to ensure mandatory testing at all entry points, isolation of confirmed cases of infection, reservation of beds for such cases among others.

Acting upon the recommendations of the Covid-19 technical advisory committee that had on Wednesday (20 July) asked the state government to ramp up surveillance measures at Bengaluru and Mangaluru airports, the government on Thursday issued orders to this effect.

The report reiterated the central government order that instructed states to undertake screening of all international passengers at ports and airports, and to streamline health screening processes as well as to ensure linkage with hospital facilities at each point of entry, is to enable timely handling of such cases.

In keeping with this, Karnataka has instructed district health officials to ensure the positioning of health inspection teams at all points of entry and to brief teams at hospitals concerned on the detection and treatment of such cases.

All confirmed cases are to be kept in isolation until the patient completely recovers from the illness and the pustules are completely healed and the skin peelings are completely shed. Two beds each in every district hospital are to be reserved for confirmed or suspected cases of monkey pox.

Instructions have been issued for the treatment of both symptomatic and asymptomatic travellers arriving at Bengaluru or Mangaluru international airports with a history of contact with any suspected case or travelling from any affected country in the last 21 days.