CHIKKABALLAPUR: In the wake of a cluster outbreak of Covid-19 infections in a nursing college in
KGF taluk in
Kolar
— scores of students who had returned from Kerala tested positive — health minister
K Sudhakar
, on Tuesday, said he will soon visit the institution to assess the situation and decide on action against the college management.
The health minister told reporters in Chikkaballapur on Tuesday that while the
Karnataka government has done well to control the pandemic situation and bring daily infections down from “50,000 to 700 to 800”, Kerala has been contributing to an increase in cases. He said he intends to visit the neighbouring state soon.
He said all educational institutions should cooperate with the government in containing the spread of the coronavirus by following norms stipulated by the government. The minister said institutions must take steps to conduct
RT-PCR
tests for all their students from neighbouring states before they enter the campus.
Sudhakar said Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chamarajanagar districts have reported an increase in positive cases owing to an influx from Kerala. He said people are crossing the border for various reasons like education, business and to avail medical facilities. He said he will discuss with the chief minister measures these districts can take to check rising cases.
On relaxing restrictions now that cases have come down, the minister said everyone wants to have cultural programmes, developmental works and also allow their children to engage in educational activities, but the priority of the government is to prevent the spread of the viral disease.
He urged people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times.
Meanwhile, Kolar district reported 55 new cases on Tuesday, of which 41 cases are from KGF taluk where the nursing college is located. G Prasanna Kumar, health inspecting officer, said these cases were reported on Monday evening and were included in the state’s Tuesday health bulletin.