49 students test positive for COVID-19 at Ullal college

Forty nine nursing students fromneighbouring Kerala have tested positive for COVID-19,prompting authorities to seal their college here as aprecautionary measure on Wednesday, official sources said.

The direction to seal the Aaliyah Institute of Nursing atUllal in coastal Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka,bordering Kerala, was given by the city municipality.

Out of the 104 samples of staff and students tested, 49BSc nursing students, including 11 boys, who had come forexaminations after months-long break, tested positive, Dr HAshok, nodal officer of Dakshina Kannada district, said.

He said four test reports are pending.

The students had stayed there for two hours before theywere tested after six male students were found infected onJanuary 29.

A delegation of municipal council officials visited thecollege Wednesday and city municipal commissioner Rayappadeclared the college premises a containment zone and directedthat no one should enter or leave the place till February 19.

The area has been sealed and other students have beenisolated from the infected, he said.

The step has been taken as a precautionary measure andpeople need not panic, Rayyappa added.

He said all students coming from outside the state havebeen directed to take mandatory COVID-19 tests.