One of the premier technical institutions Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) has turned into a Covid-19 cluster with about 71 cases reported to date and some more are expected. A total of 66 students and five staff members have tested positive for coronavirus infection.
The students allege the IIT-M's decision to run only one mess is the reason for the large scale spread of coronavirus. In the mess, one cannot be wearing a mask and a congregation of a good number of persons in the mess is ripe cause for disaster.
A total of 774 students are currently residing on the campus, of which samples were collected from 408 students as on date. Krishna hostel reported the maximum Covid cases of 22 followed by 20 cases from Jamuna, reported The New Indian Express.
The postgraduate students, research scholars and others have been asked to be confined to their rooms with arrangements made to deliver food to their rooms.
On its part, IIT-M has decided to shut down all its departments, centres and asked their staff to work from home and anyone with the symptoms like fever, dry cough, sore throat, diarrhoea, loss of taste/smell, or any other symptoms have been requested to get in touch the hospital officials.
"These kinds of localised clusters are expected. We suspect common mess, where students get together, to be the cause and advised the administration to close the mess and deliver the food directly to the residents. We have asked the institute to conduct tests on everyone and Chennai Corporation will be assisting them in disinfecting the hotspots," The New Indian Express quoted Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan as saying.
On Sunday, 32 fresh coronavirus infected cases were reported and the Tamil Nadu government has instructed that all the students be tested for the virus infection.
According to officials, the students who had returned to the campus were quarantined for two weeks, but the quarantining capacity is limited.
Those who have been infected with coronavirus are progressing well, officials said.
(With agency inputs)
