66 medical students in college hostels test positive for COVID-19 amid third wave fear

As schools and colleges have begun reopening in the country amid declining COVID-19 cases, there are reports of as many as 66 students have tested positive for COVID-19 at two hostels of SDM College of Medical Sciences situated at Manjusreenagar in Dharwad, Karnataka. 

Addressing the media, Dharwad District Collector Nitish Patil said, “At least 60 students of SDM College of Medical Sciences in Dharwad have tested positive for COVID-19. Test reports of another 100 students are awaited. Two hostels of the college have been sealed,” Patil said. 

All the students are pursuing their MBBS course at the SDM Medical College. About 40 of them had attended a get-together party organised on the premises of the college a few days ago. All the students had taken two doses of vaccination and are showing no symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

Meanwhile, Karnataka reported 306 new COVID-19 cases, 224 recoveries and two deaths on Thursday. With this, the total cases in the state have risen to 29,94,561. The total death toll in the state stands at 38,187. 

(With agency inputs)