Chennai: One of the premier technical institutions Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) has witnessed a spike in COVID-19 after around 71 cases were reported on the campus and a few more are expected.
The students say the IIT-M’s choice to run just one mess is the reason behind the huge scale spread of COVID-19. In the mess, one can’t be wearing a face mask and a gathering of a good number of people in the mess is ripe cause for disaster.
A total number of 774 students are on the campus and the majority of the individuals who were infected were residents of two hostels – Jamuna and Krishna.
On its part, IIT-M has chosen to shut down every one of its departments, focuses and centres and requested their staff to work from home and anybody with the symptoms like fever, dry cough, sore throat, diarrhoea, loss of taste/smell, or some other indications have been requested to contact the hospital officials.
The postgraduate students, research scholars and others have been requested to be limited to their rooms with arrangements made to deliver food to their rooms.
On Sunday, 32 new COVID-19 infected cases were recorded and the government of Tamil Nadu has advised that all the students be examined for the virus infection.
A total number of 66 students and five staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 infection.
As indicated by the officials, the students who had gotten back to the campus were quarantined for about fourteen days, yet the quarantining capacity is limited.
The individuals who have been infected with COVID-19 are progressing well, officials stated.
Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan stated that the students are said to be in steady condition. He said the students have been quarantined and are reported to be in stable condition. There is no need to panic. Such clusters were expected following the lifting of restriction in the state.
COVID-19 numbers in Tamil Nadu and its capital Chennai, which was prior a hotspot, have significantly decreased. On Sunday the state recorded 1,195 cases, with Chennai accounting 340. Although the state’s COVID-19 count is approaching 8 lakh, ongoing cases are at 10,115.