Mandya, (Karnataka) Jan 18 (IANS): As many as 140 engineering students have tested positive for Covid-19 in Mandya district of Karnataka on Tuesday causing panic among the people.

Following the development, PES Engineering College of Mandya, considered as the reputed institute in the region, declared a holiday for five days.

According to district authorities, tests have been conducted on more than 350 students after few of them developed minor symptoms. Among those tested positive 70 are isolated in hostel rooms and those who are at homes have been advised to get quarantined in their places and consult doctors for the treatment.

The development has caused panic among others and the health department has initiated preventive measures to check the spread of Coronavirus to the general population of the district. It has been decided to get the students who turned negative tested again after seven days.

Earlier, high alert was sounded in Mandya district when 84 devotees returning from Tamil Nadu after pilgrimage to Om Shakthi temple were tested positive for Covid-19 in the first week of January. Thousands across the district make annual pilgrimage to Omshakthi temple in Tamil Nadu. As many of the devotees who came back from pilgrimage were tested positive, the district authorities have gathered information and tracked about 3,600 devotees belonging to different villages of the district who returned from Tamil Nadu after pilgrimage.

The number of Covid cases crossed the 1,000 mark in the last week in Mandya and the district authorities have initiated tough measures to contain the menace.

Meanwhile, 251 police officers in Chikkaballapur district have tested positive for Coronavirus on Tuesday. Among them, about 65 police personnel were deputed to Mekedatu padaytra. The police officers have been isolated and all of them have minor symptoms.