Mangaluru: The flattening Covid-19 curve in Dakshina Kannada has hit a bump after a para-medical college on the outskirts of Mangaluru was declared a 'containment zone' - this is the first area to be declared a containment zone in more than a month - after nine students tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner KV Rajendra confirmed that the college had been identified as a Covid Cluster.

Nodal officer for Covid-19 Dr Ashok H said, "We have effectively isolated the hostel. Those students who have tested positive for novel coronavirus have been quarantined at the hostel. All those who are infected are aged above 18. We have paid a visit to both the girls' and boys' hostels, and measures are being taken to prevent the transmission of the virus. So far, we have collected samples from 173 students whom we identified as being primary and secondary contacts of those confirmed infected. All the 173 samples have tested negative for Covid-19. However, all the primary contacts have also been quarantined, while food is being supplied to all those who have been isolated."

Of the nine cases reported at the para-medical college, three were reported on Saturday, while four students were confirmed infected on Sunday and two more were found positive for the novel coronavirus on Monday. "We will collect swab samples from the nine students and subject them to RT-PCR test again after a week's time," Dr Ashok said.

The nodal officer recalled the outbreak of Covid infection at Navodaya Vidyalaya in Dakshina Kannada, where 16 people tested positive for the novel coronavirus between November 15 and 28. "The health department collected swabs from 231 primary contacts at the institution. As of now, there are three active cases at the educational institution," he said.

Dakshina Kannada district surveillance officer Dr Jagadeesh said that the samples of the students who were infected had been sent to a laboratory for genome sequencing.

Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) commissioner Akshy Sridhar said, "The students were tested at the behest of the MCC, since directions had been issued to subject all those who had returned to Dakshina Kannada from Kerala in the past 15 days."