138 more test +ve, Dharwad medical college tally 204

138 more test +ve, Dharwad medical college tally 204

Basavaraj.Kattimani@timesgroup.com

Hubballi:27.11.2021

The district administration on Friday closed schools and colleges and sanitized areas in a 500-metre radius of SDM College of Medical Sciences in Sattur, Dharwad, after 138 medical students and faculty members tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of infections from the campus to 204.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, 66 students tested positive for Covid-19 barely a week after about 300 students took part in a cultural event in the college attended by freshers as well as seniors.

12 B’luru nursing students test +ve

In yet another Covid outbreak in an educational institution, 12 students of Spurthy Nursing College in Chandapura, southeast Bengaluru, have tested positive. The state on Friday saw 402 new cases, including 224 from the city. P 2

Samples of 1.8k more students, faculty members collected

After the cluster outbreak, the health department sent samples of 1,000 students, doctors and college employees on Thursday and 116 of them turned positive. Of them, 25 are college employees, a source said.

Samples of 1,800 more students and faculty members have already been collected. The district administration has roped in 11 teams to expedite collection of samples, which will be sent to KIMS, DIMHANS and SDM labs.

Deputy commissioner Nitesh Patil told TOI that they have directed the college management to close the outpatient department till Sunday and restrict entry of visitors, patients’ attendants and other outsiders. “We’ve kept eight ambulances ready,” he added.

He said accommodation has been provided for those inside the campus and they will be allowed to leave the premises only after testing negative for Covid-19. Medical and paramedical employees and housekeeping staff will be allowed to resume duty only if they are negative for Covid.

“We’ve set up a separate ward in the hospital to treat Covid-positive cases in the coming days. Attendants will have to stay with patients and will not be allowed to leave the hospital for the next 2-3 days. Exceptions are made only in cases patients are discharged. The hospital management has been directed to take up only emergency cases now,” he said.

Patil said they are sending samples for genome sequencing in a bid to find out if there are any new variants. “We’ve been asked to send 380 samples of positive persons for sequencing. Since we do not have that kind of capacity, we have requested labs in Bengaluru to share the load,” he added.