Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Feb 10: The health department here has to sent swabs of over 200 students from Kerala to Bengaluru, after they tested positive for coronavirus, to determine if they carry the new strain of the virus.
More than 200 students from Kerala who had come to answer exams have tested positive for coronavirus in the last one month. The health department officials have sent their swab samples to NIMHANS in Bengaluru for gene sequencing to find out whether any of them carried the new strain of the virus.
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Since the discovery of the new strain of coronavirus in the UK towards the end of 2020, several people have returned to India from there. People from Kerala also tested positive for the new strain of the virus. Hence, as precautionary measures, the officials will send swabs to NIMHANS.
Speaking to Daijiworld, DHO Ramachandra Bayari said, "Samples will be sent to NIMHANS for genotyping to trace whether it is a new strain of the virus. This is being done especially after several students from Kerala tested positive for Covid-19."
At present, people coming from Kerala are being subjected to checks at district border. Students coming from Kerala are required to mandatorily produce RTPCR negative report while attending schools and colleges in the district.
Tests are also being conducted in colleges where there are students from Kerala. Those who travel via bus from Kerala to Dakshina Kannada need to undergo tests every 15 days. Though travel has not been restricted yet, precautionary measures are being taken to control the spread of the virus in Dakshina Kannada.
On Tuesday February 9, the district recorded 29 new cases of coronavirus. So far, 34,074 positive cases have been reported in the district, out of which 343 are currently active.