Sambalpur: Three more students have tested positive for Covid-19 at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla town of this district Sunday, taking the tally to 60.
Collector Subham Saxena visited VIMSAR to take stock of the situation. 60 students have been infected, but their condition is stable, said VIMSAR Director Lalit Meher, adding that the infected students did not have Covid symptoms.
However, contact tracing has been carried out and students have gone through tests. He exuded hope that infection will be controlled at VIMSAR.
The Collector took stock of the Covid situation at VIMSAR, visited micro containment zones and various parts of the medical college and hospital. He asked the VIMSAR authorities to carry out renovation of toilets and the dining hall.
Sub-collector Suryawanshi Mayur Vikash, Dean Jayshree Dora, ASP Amresh Panda and many officials of the VIMSAR were present.
Meanwhile, VIMSAR has sent least 21 swab samples for genome sequencing to Institute of Life Sciences in Bhubaneswar Sunday morning. The main purpose is to detect the presence of new variant(s), if any.
“Most of the students have taken the second dose of vaccination for Covid-19. We wonder how such a large number of students got infected despite receiving both the doses.
We are conducting the genome sequencing to know the presence of any new kind of Covid-19 variants among the recently infected hostel students,” said Lalmohan Nayak, VIMSAR Superintendent and Senior Professor.
Sambalpur district administration has declared several hostels and staff quarters of VIMSAR as micro containment zones and buffer zones after a number of students tested positive for Covid-19, recently.
PNN