The number of Covid-19 cases at a medical college in Karnataka increased by another 99 on Saturday to reach 281.

The SDM College of Medical Sciences and Hospital in Dharwad has become a Covid cluster after students and staff tested positive in hordes over the past couple of days against the backdrop of a cultural festival on the campus on November 17.

Dharwad deputy commissioner Nitish Patil said only six of the total cases reported so far were symptomatic. More than 1,800 test results are awaited.

The district administration has sealed two hostel blocks and isolated those who have tested positive there. As many as 59 students and seven staff members had tested positive on Thursday, followed by 116 on Friday.

Twelve nursing students at Spurthy Nursing College in Chandapura, a southeast suburb of the city, were found to have contracted the virus on Saturday.

Barring the 33 school students who are all below 18 years of age and not eligible for the Covid vaccine, everyone else are fully inoculated.

With educational institutions reopening for physical classes, sporadic outbreaks have been reported from other districts too. Around 62 nursing students from two colleges had tested positive in Mysore a week ago.

While they were isolated, their college mates who had tested negative were tested again. The result was negative the second time too.

Mysore deputy commissioner Bagadi Gautham told reporters that all precautions had been taken to isolate the affected students who were fully vaccinated and asymptomatic.

Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters on Saturday that he had called a meeting of officials from the health department to address the surge in Covid cases at educational institutions.