Third wave scare: 32 Kerala returnee students test COVID positive in Karnataka's Kolar college

Bengaluru, Aug 31: As many as 32 students were infected with coronavirus in a Noorunnisa Institute of Nursing located in Kolar Gold Field (KGF) and all of them were Kerala returnees.

Speaking to reporters in the district headquarters town of Chikkaballapura, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said 32 students were infected with coronavirus in a college in the Kolar Gold Field and all of them were Kerala returnees.

"I will visit the college and take action against the college management. Covid has been brought under control-to 700 to 800 cases per day from 50,000 cases per day. The government has worked hard to mitigate the pandemic," minister said.

Meanwhile, People entering Karnataka from neighbouring Kerala will have to remain in institutional quarantine for a week even if they are vaccinated and carry a negative RT-PCR test report, Sudhakar said on Tuesday.

The measure is also applicable to air passengers from Kerala and they can choose a hotel of their choice, which had been designated for institutional quarantine.

Such travellers undergoing institutional quarantine will be tested on the sixth day and if the report comes out negative for COVID-19 on the seventh day, they will be allowed to go.

"It has been decided in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday that travellers coming from Kerala, whether they have taken vaccines or have a negative RT-PCR test report, will have to compulsorily stay in institutional quarantine," Sudhakar told reporters here.

He said the government is working out a strategy in consultation with experts on how to further strengthen the COVID prevention drive in the districts bordering Kerala such as Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chamarajanagar.

He also said the government may take "even more" stringent measures in the border districts to control the spread of COVID-19.

The government has imposed stringent restrictions in view of increasing number of COVID cases in Kerala.

Kerala on Monday reported 19,622 new positive cases and 132 COVID-19-related deaths, taking the caseload to 40,27,030 and the toll to 20,673.

As the Karnataka government decided to restart from September 6 offline classes for students from classes six to eight, Sudhakar said schools cannot be kept shut permanently and have to be reopened because children were lagging behind in their studies.

He also said that all preparations have been made and guidelines have been made public on reopening of schools.