COVID On Campus In Odisha: Sufficient Precautions Taken, Monitoring Situation, Says NIT-Rourkela After 125 Cases

Rourkela: The authorities at the National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Rourkela in Odisha on Sunday said students can leave the campus if they want after more COVID-19 cases were detected.

“Students came to the campus with parental undertakings before cases started rising. Students can leave the campus if they want but they have to go at their own risk. We are taking sufficient precautions and monitoring the situation. We are conducting COVID tests on the campus. There are near about 250 ongoing projects. To avoid crowd, we are allowing 50 per cent students inside labs. Faculties are also coming shift-wise. We may change our decision in future,” said Registrar Dr Pradip K Das.

A total of 125 people have tested positive for COVID-19 at NIT-Rourkela as on January 8. This is a big jump from a total of 70 COVID-19 cases reported on Friday.

The total cases include 64 students and 61 employees and their family members. As many as 55 fresh cases were reported on Saturday following 250 tests.

Although the Odisha government on Friday ordered the closure of colleges, universities and technical institutions in the state from January 10 in the face of spiralling COVID-19 cases, no such decision has been taken yet at NIT-Rourkela.

At least 3,000 students, 350 faculty members and 600 staff remain on the campus.

First, second and third year students are not present on the campus at present.