The COVID situation at SDM Medical College in Karnataka's Dharwad is escalating by the day. A total of 99 more medical college students and faculty members were tested COVID-19 positive, taking the total number of affected medical students to 281 as of November 27, said Dharwad District Collector Nitesh Patil.

"This tally may increase as 1,822 test results are awaited," Patil said. He further said that out of the 281 only six patients are mildly symptomatic and others are non-symptomatic. All have been quarantined and treatment is ongoing.

The college had reported 66 positive cases on November 25. After this, the district administration tested more people including students, staff and primary contacts of infected students, and 116 of them tested positive on November 26. 

The students had attended a function held on November 17 on the college campus. Patients have not shown serious symptoms associated with the virus as they have taken both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine. As a preventive measure, a one-day holiday has been declared to all educational institutions in a radius of 500 meters of the college.

Patil had earlier said, "We are doing RAT and RT-PCR tests of around 3,000 people inside the campus. College administration has been directed to not allow any visitors inside the campus. Attendees will be not allowed inside the hospital where the patients are undergoing treatment."

Karnataka reported 402 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths on November 27. As per the state's health department, the state has 6,611 active cases of infection. Karnataka has recorded 29,94,963 infections since the onset of the pandemic last year.

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With 277 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries climbed to 29,50,130. The death toll is 38,193. Out of the six deaths that occurred on November 26, one each was reported in Bengaluru Urban, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad, Hassana, Kodagu and Raichur.