Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has emerged as a COVID cluster with 66 students testing COVID-19 positive since December 1 up after the campus reopened for final year students.
As a result, 700 students are being tested by sample collectors from the Greater Chennai Corporation now. The institution has temporarily shut its academic departments and research labs. Students on campus have been asked to quarantine inside their rooms and food is being sent to their rooms. “Symptomatic students have been sent to Covid care centres,” said an administrative official of the institute, Hindustan Times (HT) reported.
Meanwhile, faculty and students have been asked to work from home, NDTV reported. Hostels have only 10 per cent of the usual residents and all were tested after a few reported positive. Students still in hostels are being supplied packed food, said IIT, the report added quoting from a statement.
A senior health official told NDTV, “We are working with the institute. We had expected such clusters since the restrictions have been lifted. This is no reason for panic.”
