A private medical college in Ullal, a municipality located approximately 10 kilometers away from Mangalore city, has been cordoned off in a precautionary measure after 49 students tested positive for coronavirus this week.
Local authorities who visited the college premises on Wednesday declared the area to be a containment zone and directed that no one should enter or leave the place till February 19.
Students return after a long break
Local media reports have stated that the students had returned to college after months-long break to physically sit for examinations.
In total, there were 104 people, including the college staff as well as students. Meanwhile, out of the 49 BSc nursing students, 11 were boys, Dr H Ashok, nodal officer of Dakshina Kannada district told PTI.
Those who tested positive for the virus majorly belonged to the neighboring state of Kerala.
College authorities said that the students had stayed there for only two hours before they were tested after six male students complained of illness and were later found to be infected on January 29.
On Wednesday, the reports of other 38 students confirmed them to be with Covid-19.
College premise turned into Covid hotspot
Authorities have further sealed the area in a precautionary measure to protect others who have not been infected by the contagious virus so far.
Rayyappa added that the non-infected students have been isolated from the infected ones and everyone has been asked to remain in quarantine. In addition, all students coming from outside the state have been directed to take mandatory COVID-19 tests, he said further.
College officials have also made arrangements to sanitize the bathrooms, toilets, and canteen within the premises.
As per reports, the Covid positive students are being treated in the college itself under the supervision of the nodal officer of the institution and the health department.
"In spite of RT-PCR negative report mandatory for the students arriving from Kerala, several students come with the negative report obtained from Rapid Antigen Test and the institutions failed to adhere to the SOP issued by the state government. The issue has been brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner who in turn has also decided to bring it to the notice of the state government," Ashok was quoted as saying Deccan Chronicle.
