Kolar (Karnataka), Aug 31 (IANS): Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar on Tuesday said that action will be initiated against the Noorunnisa Institute of Nursing located in Kolar Gold Field (KGF), for negligence in following Covid protocols, after 32 girl students there tested Covid positive since the last two days.

"(As many as) 32 students, all from Kerala, have tested positive for Covid in the institution. The management should have taken negative reports when they came back from Kerala. This was the responsibility of the organisation. I will make a visit on Wednesday and initiate action," he said.

The Karnataka government has brought down the number of cases in the state from 50,000 to 700 to 800 cases with great difficulty, he underlined.

As many as 265 students from Kerala study at the Noorunnisa Institute of Nursing located in Anderson pet of KGF town. Sources in the Health Department said that there is a possibility that some of the students had submitted fake RT-PCR certificates obtained in Kerala, and these are being cross-checked here.

Tehsildar K.N. Sujatha pulled up the management for allowing students to return from Kerala without taking proper precautions. "All of the students have submitted negative reports and tested positive for Covid in Karnataka. There should be something wrong in the report, their certificates should be properly checked," she said.

Meanwhile, Kolar Commissioner R.Selvamani visited the institute on Tuesday and gave directions to quarantine all Kerala students. District Health Officer Dr Jagadish had issued a notice to the institute seeking explanation by Wednesday.