Mangaluru : After more than a month, Dakshina Kannada districts found a cluster where nine students tested positive for Covid-19 as on Monday.

Deputy commissioner Dr K V Rajendra said that a cluster was identified in a paramedical college in the city outskirts where nine positive cases were reported in the last three days.

Dr Ashok H, nodal officer for Covid-19, said that the hostel of the college has been made a containment zone.

“Students, who are tested positive, have been isolated at the hostels. We have visited both girls’ and boys’ hostels and all measures have been taken to prevent the spread of the virus. We have collected samples of 173 students, who are primary and secondary contacts of those tested positive. All 173 samples tested negative. All primary contacts are under quarantine and food is being supplied to all students,” Dr Ashok said, adding that those who tested positive are aged about 18 years.

While three cases were reported on Saturday, four tested positive on Sunday and two on Monday, he said, adding that their swabs will be collected for RT-PCR tests again after seven days.
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A total of 16 cases were reported in a Navodaya Vidyalaya in the district between November 15 and 28. The health department had collected swabs from 231 primary contacts from the institute, where there are three active cases at present, Dr Ashok said.

District surveillance officer Dr Jagadeesh said that samples of those tested positive were also sent for genome sequencing.

Mangaluru City Corporation commissioner Akshy Sridhar said that the students were tested based on MCC’s directions wherein they had to test all those who had returned from Kerala in the last 15 days.