Karnal, Mar 3 (IANS): As many as 57 students of the Sainik school here have tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials said on Wednesday.

The officials said that three students of the Sainik school tested Covid-19 positive on Monday, following which samples of 390 students and staff members of the school were collected for testing.

"The reports later said that around 54 students have contracted the infection, while the remaining 330 were found negative on Tuesday," the officials added.

Following the outbreak, classes and other activities of the school have been suspended and the premises including the hostel were declared as a containment zone.

"About 57 students of the school hostel have also tested positive for the Covid-19. Later, we have carried out a survey in the area but didn't detect any other patient," Yogesh Kumar Sharma, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Karnal told IANS.

Schools in Haryana and the rest of the country were closed in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Haryana allowed students from classes 9 to 12 to return to schools in December and reopened for those from classes 3 to 5 on February 24.

The government also decided to start regular classes for classes 1 and 2 from Monday.

An order issued by the Department of School Education has stated that schools can function for the specified classes from 10 am to 1:30 pm.

According to the state government guidelines, the students need to carry along with them the Covid-19 negative test report before entering the school premises.

It is also mandatory for students to carry a consent letter signed by their parents, declaring they don't have any problem with their children attending physical classes, the guidelines said.

In case any student tests Covid-19 positive, the protocols laid down by the government would be followed. The schools will have to adhere to all the Covid-related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).