Pandemic fear: College hostels in Coimbatore under scanner

COIMBATORE: In the wake of KG College of Nursing turning into a Covid-19 cluster with 65 students already testing positive for the virus, college hostels, especially those with students from Kerala and other neighbouring states, have come under the district administration’s scanner.
Public health officials said more students from the nursing college were likely to test positive for the virus, while those infected had already been moved to the Covid care centre on the college campus itself.After schools and colleges were reopened, institutes were allowed to operate hostels as well with limited strength by ensuring social distancing among the students. Colleges were also instructed to allow students from Kerala only if they have RT-PCR negative certificate.
District collector G S Sameeran said all the colleges and institutions were asked to keep students coming from Kerala in quarantine for a week to 10 days, before allowing them to mingle with other students. “We have asked them strictly ensure RT-PCR negative certificate and vaccination status of the students.”
A health official said mandatory quarantine of students on their arrival could have prevented the Covid cluster in the nursing college. P Aruna, deputy director of health services, said four of the nursing students, who were among the first set of positive cases, were possessing RT-PCR negative certificates. “It takes three to 14 days for Covid symptoms to manifest after getting infected. Therefore, mandatory quarantine for a few days is the only way to prevent formation of such clusters. We have instructed educational institutions to adhere to the norms,” she said.
Some colleges have asked students from other states to attend online classes from home for the time being, considering the high number of cases there. “Roughly, 40 students of our college are from Kerala. We have suggested them to attend the online classes from home,” said principal of an arts and science college in the city.