Karnataka: Manipal Institute of Technology declared containment zone

The campus of the Manipal Institute of Technology has been declared as containment zone by the Udipi administration after 59 people tested Covid-19 positive over the past few days.

"33 people in tested positive for Covid-19 in Udupi district yesterday out of which 27 were from MIT. Most students who tested positive are from other states. Some first contacts with the Covid-19 positive have also tested positive. The district health administration has declared the campus as a containment zone," said District Health Officer Dr Sudhidra Chandra Suda.

In a notification issued on Wednesday by Udupi Deputy Commissioner and Chairperson of the District Disaster Management Authority the district administration said that 59 patients found positive for coronavirus on the campus.

"Faculty and essential duty staff of MIT campus are allowed in the campus with proper pass/identification," the notification read.

Addressing the students, the Director of MIT in the notification said that the Manipal Academy of Higher Education administration has decided to conduct all theory classes in online mode and defer the laboratory/practical /contact classes later. Pending end-semester examination of the first semester BTech will be rescheduled to a later date. MIT is a constituent unit of MAHE.

Mentioning that there is a sudden increase in the Covid cases in Udupi district, including MIT Manipal campus, in the last few days, the note said: "In view of this, the district administration of Udupi taking certain measures to contain the spread of Covid infection, including restricting the movement of students in certain areas of Manipal, particularly the MIT campus." it said.

The state has reported a surge in Covid-19 cases in the last two weeks and travellers from Maharashtra and Kerala have been mandated to carry negative COVID-19 test certificates.

Karnataka reported as many as 1,275 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths in the last 24 hours, the state health department informed on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the state government had informed that the daily tests of COVID-19 will be increased to one lakh in the state.