Authorities have turned a hostel block of Andhra University (AU) Engineering College, Visakhapatnam into an isolation ward after 102 students have tested positive for novel coronavirus on Sunday.

The Engineering College Covid-19 cluster came to light when over 50 students tested positive on Saturday. College authorities told The News Minute that as of Sunday 102 Covid-19 cases have been recorded on the campus, of which 96 are male students, five staff members, and one female student.

Meanwhile, authorities are testing the primary contacts of these patients and their samples are being tested for the virus. In order to contain the spread, so far 1,000 students have been tested positive.

Taking cognizance of the rapid spike, state Minister for Tourism MS Srinivasa Rao visited the University and said that all measures are being taken to provide treatment to those who have tested positive for the virus.

“The district authorities are taking all the necessary measures to treat those who have been infected with the virus. Isolation blocks have been arranged and the required Covid-19 kits have been distributed. Parents need not worry,” Rao said.

The primary contacts of these students are being tested and monitored in another isolation block, he added. Meanwhile, around 550 beds at King George Hospital and 650 beds at the Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) are readily available in case of any emergency.

In a meeting conducted, Minister Srinivasa Rao reviewed the situation along with the district authorities and college officials, while the university’s Vice-Chancellor professor Prasad Reddy briefed the Covid-19 scene on the campus. The Minister further asked the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) to monitor the situation continuously and ensure the treatment of the students who got infected by the novel coronavirus.

In the last 24 hours, as many as 1,005 new cases of Covid-19 were reported from Andhra Pradesh. As of Sunday, the state has reported 8,95,920 cases, 8,83,321 recoveries, and 7,205 deaths due to the infection. Currently, 5,394 patients are under treatment for Covid-19 in Andhra Pradesh, as per the Department of Health and Family Welfare’s latest bulletin.