DK educational institutions record spike in Covid cases

Infections are spreading among students in Dakshina Kannada, leaving district authorities and managements of educational institutions a worried lot. A dental college hostel reported more than five cases among its inmates for example, while some nursing and engineering college hostels in Mangaluru have also reported outbreaks.
Dr Kishore Kumar M, district health officer, told TOI that in the past few weeks 390 pupils, including 246 from Kerala, tested positive. Most of the infections are being reported in nursing, paramedical and engineering colleges. “Several hostels have been declared containment zones,” said Dr Kumar.
The administration is shifting infected students to Covid Care Centres (CCC) if hostels or educational institutions do not have adequate arrangements to isolate them. Dr Kishore said testing has been ramped up.
“Recently, we conducted tests on all students at an engineering college hostel after it reported seven cases and we found a few more were positive. We will continue with primary contact tracing.”
He said some institutions which reported outbreaks previously have put preventive measures in place. Yenepoya (deemed to be university), for instance, had to shut down constituent colleges after a rash of cases.
Dr M Vijayakumar, vicechancellor, said the institution is now only allowing students who produce a negative RTPCR certificate. They also must mandatorily spend a week in quarantine and undergo another test at the end of the isolation period. No student who has not taken at least one dose of the vaccine can attend classes. The varsity is offering doses and students can choose between Sputnik and Covishield.
At the end of March, a dozen educational institutions were declared containment zones. “We do not want this to happen again. It will affect students as well as staff,” said the head of a nursing college.