As many as 91 students who went to a private tuition centre at Marancherry in Ponnani has tested positive for COVID-19. The tuition centre was sealed on Monday, Ramesh Kumar, district education officer.

The shocking news comes in days after 192 Class 10 students from two schools in Kerala's Malappuram tested positive for COVID-19. The education officer said in a statement that 91 of the 192 students who tested positive attended the same tution centre. Other students who attended these classes have been asked to stay in home isolation and are being tested. More students, teachers and parents are also being subjected to RT-PCR tests

The infection source was traced after a sudden spike in the cases was recorded among students and teachers in two schools at nearby Ponnani. It was found that the disease spread came from the private tuition centre, where students used to go for coaching classes.

The spread of the virus via private tuition centre is suspected to be a 'super-spreader' of COVID-19, authorities said. As many as 148 students and 37 teachers of the Maranchery school and 42 students and 42 teachers of the Vanneri HSS have tested positive till now. Both the schools will become functional only after the students' sample turn negative and health authorities inspect and certify that the institutions are safe to be opened.