17 fresh COVID-19 cases from private school in Cuttack; Puducherry link suspected

Cuttack: After 25 students of a private college in Cuttack city tested positive for COVID-19,  another private school in the city has reported 17 confirmed cases.

Contact tracing of the infected persons and follow-up action are underway, said Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) sources.

The fresh cases are suspected to have Puducherry link. However, all infected have been sent on quarantine. Meanwhile, the CMC has closed the school for a month as part of the precautionary measures.

Sources said 35 swab samples from the school were collected for testing, out of which reports of 17 came out positive.

Earlier, a private Plus 2 science college in Arunodaya Nagar here has reported 25 cases in two days.  On March 17, 12 students of the college were found positive for Coronavirus. The next day (March 18),  13 students of the college contracted the virus.

The CMC has has closed the college for 10 days.

It is pertinent  to mention here that Cuttack district has been witnessing a sudden spike in daily cases for the last three days with 26 cases reported today.