900 in Karnataka’s Manipal campus Covid-infected: Minister

IANS

Udupi, 31 mar 2021: "The campus has been declared a containment zone after 900 people were infected by the virus over the last 10 days," he said after inspecting the sprawling campus in the coastal district.

 

Authorities sealed the MIT campus, which houses about 11,000 people, after it turned into a Covid cluster.

 

"More people in a single campus spread infection as many of them don’t follow the guidelines and violate Covid appropriate behaviour," rued Sudhakar, a medical doctor by profession.

 

The institute had, however, sent home all those who tested negative to prevent them from being infected before the campus was declared a containment zone.

 

The minister said that the vacation after exams seems to be one of the reasons for spike in cases in the campus as well as laxity in wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing and observing hygiene.

 

He also exhorted youth to take elderly people for vaccination as the state is in the grip of second wave of coronavirus.

 

Noting that there was an urgent need to ensure quality healthcare for all, especially the elderly and comorbid, he said the state budget for 2021-22 has allotted huge funds to improve the health sector.

 

"The government is working to improve and ramp up health services across the state. All primary health centres in cities, towns and villages are being modernised," he said, adding that his department has also taken up measures to contain the virus spread and reduce cases than just admit the patients in hospitals for treatment.