BALLARI: As many as 31 students of Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Ballari, have tested positive for Covid-19.
The district administration has sealed the institute hospital and quarantined all the students at the district hospital. Deputy Commissioner Pavan Kumar Malapati and the VIMS administration are
closely monitoring the situation and all safety measures have been taken, sources said.
Senior health officials have suspected that while treating patients, the students might have got the infection. All the 31 students are quarantined at the district hospital.The deputy commissioner said on Tuesday that four students got mild symptoms of Covid-19 and tested positive and on Wednesday, 17 more students tested positive. By the evening, 10 more students were also found infected.
"As per Covid-19 guidelines, we sealed the hostel where the students have stayed and sanitization and precautionary steps are being taken," he said.
VIMS director Dr Gangadhar Gowda said, "We are trying to find out how the students got infection and no one needs to panic. All the students are fine and are quarantined at the district Covid-19 hospital in Ballari and soon all of them will recover. I have ordered random Covid-19 testing of all students and staff of the college and hospital.
"We are keeping updated and monitoring situations inside the hostel and colleges and parents of the students need not worry. The DC and higher officials visited VIMS on Wednesday and instructed officials to follow Covid guidelines. There is a chance of further increase in cases and to avoid spreading of the infection, all should follow Covid appropriate behaviour," he added.