Bengaluru,  Karnataka on Friday announced its decision to allow educational institutions that work in the health and medical sector to reopen with immediate effect.

With this decision, dental, medical and nursing colleges can restart across the state.

"It has been decided to allow reopening of all Medical, Dental, AYUSH and other allied healthcare educational institutions in the state with immediate effect," Karnataka Health Minister K. Sudhakar tweeted on Friday.

In an order, Karnataka Principal Secretary, Revenue, N. Manjunatha Prasad said that the Chairman, State Executive Committee, has permitted the reopening of academic institutions pertaining to the health and medical sector with immediate effect.

It also added that the colleges and institutions should ensure strict adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour and standard operating procedure and guidelines issued by the department concerned.

Prasad also said that students, faculty members and non-teaching staff should have been vaccinated to attend the colleges.

Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per the provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Section 188 of the IPC, and other legal provisions as applicable.