16 students of Thapar institute found infected

Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 13

The Health Department today declared two hostels of Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology as micro-containment zones after 16 students tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Health Department said Hostel B and M of the university had already been converted into micro-containment zones and would be under restrictions for the next 10 days.

The Patiala Civil Surgeon, Dr Satinder Singh, said they had started contact tracing of the positive patients while Covid test reports of 100 students was awaited.

The district epidemiologist, Dr Sumeet Singh, said, “We have already started testing contacts of Covid positive students. If more students test positive for the virus then we will have to impose further restrictions to contain the spread of the disease in the university.”

Meanwhile, Patiala district continues to report a high number of coronavirus cases. The district reported 164 positive cases today, Dr Satinder added.

With this, the total count of positive cases has risen to 18,482 since the outbreak of pandemic last year.

Of the 164 positive cases detected today, only 27 were contacts of the past Covid positive patients while 137 were reported from hospital OPDs afresh.

The district has been witnessing a sudden surge in coronavirus cases over the past two weeks. Patiala city reported 117 cases, Bhadson nine, Nabha eight, Kauli six, Dudhan Sadhan six and Kallon Majra four, said Dr Satinder Singh. Besides, two positive cases were reported from Shutrana and one from Samana.

Reacting to the rising number of Covid positive cases, Dr Satinder Singh added, “All possible measures are being taken to control the spread of the virus. We have already imposed night curfew and ramped up sampling in the district.”