Only 1500 to be allowed for 'Panchalinga Darshana' on Dec 14

Mysuru: The State covid-19 technical advisory committee (TAC) has come up with its much awaited detailed SOP for yet another major event of Mysuru district, the "Panchalinga Darshana" scheduled from 10th to 19th December at Talakadu and Mudkthore in T Narsipura taluk in view of the Covid -19 pandemic. The committee has directed officials to allow 1,500 people on the main day on 14 December and 1,000 on other days. The committee has further advised the district administration not to allow the people from outside the taluk.

The festival should be organized in a simple way while without compromising on the traditions, rituals and ceremonies. Suggesting live telecast of the event, the district administration has been asked to take measures to ensure that pilgrims will wear masks and maintain physical distance of two metres. Officials should subject people to thermal screening and supply liquid soap and sanitizer at the venue. Directing police to take effective crowd control measure, the panel wanted setting up of isolation and testing centres and deployment of ambulance for shifting symptomatic patients to hospital.

TAC has come up with the SOP after a meeting with Mysuru DC Rohini Sindhuri and officils of department of health and family welfare. TAC included chairman Dr M K Sudarshan, member secretary, Dr M Shariff and member Dr Ravi V, former professor and head, department of neurovirology, NIMHANS, Dr Anita Desai, Professor of neurovirology, NIMHANS, Dr Girish Rao, professor and head, department of epidemiology, NIMHANS, Dr Ashish Satapathy, RTL WHO, Dr Lokesh Alahari, SRTL-WHO. And Dr C N Manjunath. They also had special invitees for the meeting in this regard including Dr C N Manjunath, director of Jayadeva institute of cardiology, Dr Nischith K R, medical consultant, WHO, Ms Vanitha, PIP consultant NHM.

The TAC in its report has noted that the pandemic is still spreading in the country and States like Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala are witnessing a surge in cases.