Chennai: Tamil Nadu was forced to sit up and take notice after 12 students at the IIT Madras campus tested positive for COVID-19.
Tamil Nadu’s Health secretary J Radhakrishnan inspected the campus and directed officials to sanitize the locality and follow safety guidelines, reported The Indian Express.
The first case was detected on April 19, while two more students tested positive on April 20. The Health department, Chennai municipal corporation and the medical team at IIT Madras campus then collected samples of those who were in close contact with infected students. The results showed nine more students had contracted the coronavirus.
“Those who have tested positive have mild symptoms. Their oxygen levels are normal, there is no need to panic. IIT Madras has the facility to isolate those infected with the virus. We have begun to do targeted testing on the campus. Till now, 365 samples have been tested, further steps will be based on that,” Radhakrishnan informed.
All students and other campus residents have been instructed to wear masks, get vaccinated and not share food.
“COVID cases are increasing in Delhi, Faridabad, Haryana and Maharashtra. The cluster at IIT Madras in our state is a warning bell. People should continue to follow safety guidelines and not let their guard down,” he said.
