JOIN USBengaluru nursing college sealed after 34 Covid cases
After Covid positive cases were reported from a nursing college in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Christian Nursing College in Bengaluru’s Horamavu area recorded 34 infections.
Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said colleges have been instructed to be vigilant of students returning from other states.
Speaking to the media after inspecting the college, the minister said 34 out of 300 students tested positive for Covid-19. The college has been temporarily sealed and all precautions have been taken, he added.
“Karnataka is an educational hub and many students come here from across the country. There are about 800 nursing colleges in the state. All the infected students are from Kerala and West Bengal. The samples will be sent for genomic sequencing as well,” the minister said.
Infected students have been shifted to Covid Care Centres for isolation. The college will remain sealed for seven to eight days, following which they will be retested.
“The area has been declared a micro containment zone and 700-800 residents around the college will be tested as a precautionary measure,” he said.
He said the government issued separate guidelines for border districts. “Students coming from Kerala must have a negative RT-PCR report, besides which they should have also been vaccinated. Managements of schools and colleges must verify this strictly,” he added.
Festivals a worry
Noting that the Ganesha festival celebration is a sensitive issue, the minister said Covid went out of control in Kerala due to Onam and Muharram festivities. “We are trying to avoid a similar situation in Karnataka. The government will take an appropriate decision considering all aspects," the minister said.